Vadakkancherry: The lone fight waged by Sulaiman Kasim against the collection of tolls from four-wheel autorickshaws at the Panniyankara toll plaza shows no sign of letting up.

A native of Kammanthara in Vadakkancherry, Sulaiman has been supporting his family for the past six years by driving an autorickshaw. In the all-party meeting held on April 7, four-wheel autorickshaws were exempted from toll. However, this decision had been in effect for only three days, after which four-wheel autorickshaw operators who refused to pay the toll were stopped.

The toll plaza authorities refunded the amount when Sulaiman staged a protest by parking his autorickshaw at the plaza. However, toll collection resumed soon after. Although petitions were submitted to the National Highways Authority of India, the MP, MLA, district collector, ADM, and other public representatives, none supported the workers.

It was then that Sulaiman launched a protest by operating his autorickshaw with a large banner on the rear, protesting against the `toll robbery.' He also stopped using the toll plaza altogether. Sulaiman says his vehicles is regularly hired for hospital trips and cannot afford to operate through the toll plaza. Autorickshaw workers alleged that toll plaza authorities sabotaged the decision taken in the presence of K Radhakrishnan MP, and P P Sumod MLA, which allowed four-wheel auto taxis to operate without paying toll by categorising them as autorickshaws.

Four-wheel auto taxis were exempted from toll for a year after toll collection began at Panniyankara in March 2022. Thereafter, toll was collected from them without prior notice. This double standard continues at Panniyankara, while local residents remain exempted from toll at Paliyekkara. Sulaiman says he will continue his protest until the toll is fully exempted.