Kerala High Court extends toll suspension at Paliyekkara on NH-544 as traffic chaos continues. District Collector says, “Several issues persist,” highlighting poor road conditions and safety concerns.
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Kerala: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday refused to lift its interim order suspending toll collection at the Paliyekkara toll plaza on NH-544, citing persistent road safety and traffic management issues. The matter has drawn attention to severe traffic congestion and ongoing concerns over highway maintenance.
Earlier, a Division Bench of Justices A Muhamed Mustaque and Harisankar V Menon had ordered the constitution of an Interim Traffic Management Committee, including the District Collector, District Police Superintendent, and Regional Transport Officer, to monitor traffic conditions and provide recommendations.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Thrissur District Collector Arjun Pandian informed the Court:
“Several issues persist, especially poor road quality and traffic management. Diversion roads and culverts are affecting road safety.”
Representing the NHAI, Assistant Solicitor General ARL Sundaresan assured the Court:
“We have only received the Collector’s directions yesterday, but we will comply. We can’t have new directions every day… everything we did was to prevent loss of life.”
The Bench emphasized that the delay in addressing the issues is unacceptable. Justice Mustaque remarked:
“We don’t want to delay. But you had enough time since February when the District Collector started proceedings.”
The Court also observed that lifting the suspension of toll collection is contingent upon the Collector’s verification report confirming that NHAI-related issues have been addressed.
The High Court directed that the NHAI report compliance to the Collector, who will verify and submit a report to the Court by Monday, September 15. The Court will review the matter again on that date.
The case follows numerous complaints about traffic congestion on NH-544, with one traffic block reportedly lasting over 12 hours. Earlier, the Bench suggested that restrictions on heavy vehicles during peak hours could help alleviate congestion.
Following the High Court’s initial order suspending toll collection, the NHAI approached the Supreme Court, which dismissed the appeal and instructed the Kerala High Court to continue monitoring the situation closely.
The continuation of the toll suspension ensures that commuters will not have to pay tolls until the road is repaired and traffic safety is assured. The case highlights the critical need for timely highway maintenance and effective traffic management, particularly on heavily used routes like NH-544.
The next hearing is scheduled for Monday, September 15, pending the Collector’s verification report.
Case Title:
Shaji J Kodankadath v. Union of India and connected cases
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