Kochi: The Kerala High Court will on Friday decide whether toll collection at the Paliyekkara Toll Plaza in Thrissur district should be resumed, in light of the repair works undertaken by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

Toll collection at the plaza on NH-544 was suspended over two months ago after a 12-hour blockade caused by ongoing construction works sanctioned by the NHAI. The division bench comprising Justice A Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Harisankar V Menon is hearing the matter.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, urged the court to lift the suspension, stating that traffic conditions along the highway had “substantially improved” and that vehicular movement was largely smooth except for minor congestion in a few pockets.

He argued that the suspension was causing financial and administrative difficulties for the NHAI, as the issue was limited to a small portion of the 65-kilometre stretch.

The bench also asked the Centre to clarify how tolls should be managed during extreme traffic disruptions — whether through pro rata deductions for commuters or complete suspension until remedial steps are taken.

The Solicitor General submitted that the Central government could only issue policy directions to the NHAI and could not intervene in individual cases. “If the Centre begins deciding individual highway issues, it will open the floodgates to similar applications nationwide,” he said.

The court also sought inputs from the Thrissur District Collector, who joined the proceedings online. The Collector informed the bench that congestion persisted during peak hours in the Amballoor and Muringoor stretches, with additional bottlenecks reported at Perambra and Chirangara.

Taking note of this, the court directed the Collector to visit the affected areas immediately and issue necessary instructions to the NHAI to implement short-term traffic management measures.

Mehta reiterated his request for permission to resume toll collection, stating that the NHAI had already implemented most of the remedial measures and that continued suspension would have a “cascading effect” on similar projects across India. The bench recorded the submissions and posted the matter for orders on Friday.
(With LiveLaw inputs.)