HC extends suspension of toll collection at Paliyekkara till Sept. 9

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday extended the interim suspension of toll collection at Paliyekkara till September 9.

It also ordered a fresh inspection of traffic on the stretch in the Edapally-Paliyekkara NH-544 corridor, which witnessed a 12-hour traffic snarl earlier this month.

The court had suspended toll collection in the corridor after many petitions were filed demanding that the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) take steps to streamline traffic flow around the flyover and underpass worksites.

Maintaining that traffic congestion was still a problem, a Division Bench of Justice A. Muhammed Mustaque and Justice Harisankar V. Menon directed the District Collector of Thrissur and the interim traffic management committee to conduct a fresh inspection of the corridor, in the presence of NHAI officials, within two weeks.

The committee had said that the only lasting solution for the traffic snarls was the systematic repair and strengthening of service roads and their widening wherever possible.

Counsel for the NHAI said substantial remedial measures had already been done at bottlenecked places, resulting in smoother traffic movement. He urged the court to allow a fresh inspection with NHAI’s participation and requested that the matter be considered during the court’s vacation period for lifting the suspension of toll collection.

The court had stopped toll collection in the corridor after KPCC secretary Shaji Kodankandath, Thrissur DCC president Joseph Tajet, and Youth Congress leader O.J. Jenish filed petitions seeking a halt to toll collection until a reliable solution was found to the traffic snarls on NH-544 in Thrissur.

The Supreme Court had later upheld the court ruling that barred toll collection for four weeks.