The Kerala High Court has declined to lift the suspension of toll collection at the Paliyekkara Toll Plaza on NH-544 in Thrissur district, citing newly reported damage to a service road at Muringoor. The division bench, consisting of Justices A Muhammed Mustaque and Harisankar V Menon, was hearing writ petitions regarding heavy traffic congestion on the Mannuthy-Edappally section of NH-544, particularly around the toll plaza. Earlier, on August 6, the Court had ordered that toll collection be suspended for four weeks; this suspension was affirmed by the Supreme Court on August 18. Subsequent orders had extended the suspension.
On the day the bench was due to consider lifting the suspension, the Court noted that a service road at Muringoor—recently paved just one week before—had collapsed. Because of this development, the Court directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to submit a report concerning the collapse to the District Collector, before any decision on restoring toll collection could be made. The Court emphasized that it was postponing its order in light of the collapse, given that the condition of the collapsed service road directly impacted the safety and usability of alternate traffic routes.
Previously, an Interim Traffic Management Committee had been established for the purpose of formulating temporary traffic management plans for the congested stretch of NH-544. This Committee had conducted inspections and identified problems including uneven road surfaces and incomplete culvert works. The Court had instructed NHAI to submit a compliance report to both the Committee and the District Collector based on these issues. While the Interim Committee had earlier reported satisfaction with certain works carried out by NHAI in the stretch, the recent collapse at Muringoor has provided a new variable which the Court found significant enough to delay resumption of toll collection.
The case is titled Shaji J Kodankadath v Union of India and connected cases (WP(C) 20253/2021 and connected cases). Legal representatives for petitioners included K B Gangesh, Smitha Chathanarambath, Amal S Kumar, Athira A Menon, John Varghese, V Praveen, Sonu Augustine, Premchand M, Sreelakshmi Sabu, P K Subhash, Anoop V Nair, Tanoosha Paul. For the respondents, counsel included O M Shalina (DSG), Nanavati Maulik G, Arun Thomas, Jennis Stephen, Anil Sebastian Pulickel, P Martin Jose, P Prijith, Thomas P Kurivila, Ajay Ben Jose, Manjunath Menon, Hani P Nair, R Githesh, Sachin Jacob Ambat, Anna Lind Eden, Harikrishnan S, Mathews K Philip, T C Krishna, C Dinesh, B G Bidan Chandran, Mathews Nevin Thomas, Kurian Antony Mathew, R Githesh, Sachin Jacob Ambat, N Manoj Kumar (State Attorney), C Harikumar, Sandra Sunny, Arun Kumar M A, Farah Jyothi Pradeep, Anavadya Sanil Kumar, Anjali Krishna.
Thus, until NHAI provides the required report and the District Collector reviews the condition of the damaged service road, toll collection at Paliyekkara Toll Plaza remains suspended.
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