Karnataka High Court Orders Free Toll Passes For Kanakapura Road Locals

Last Updated:February 02, 2026, 11:41 IST

The judge described this situation as unjust and oppressive, noting that it amounted to a failure of duty on the part of both the NHAI and the toll concessionaire.

The NHAI and the concessionaire have been instructed to issue free local resident passes with zero user fee to all eligible residents living in the surrounding villages. Representative Image: X

For thousands of commuters on Kanakapura Road, the Somanahalli toll plaza has long been a daily irritation, a brief halt that added up to a steady drain on time and money. For residents of nearby villages, however, it was more than an inconvenience.

It was a recurring reminder that their everyday commute had been turned into a paid passage. A recent ruling by the Karnataka High Court has now brought them decisive relief.

In a significant order delivered in late January, the Karnataka High Court ruled that toll collection at the Somanahalli toll plaza on National Highway 209 is illegal. The court was hearing petitions filed by residents of Somanahalli, Nelaguli, and Kaggalipura villages, who argued that the plaza violated national highway regulations and unfairly burdened local commuters.

The single-judge bench found that the toll plaza does not comply with the National Highways Fee Rules, 2008, which clearly state that toll gates must be located at least 10 km away from municipal or local authority limits. The court noted that the Somanahalli toll plaza falls within the limits of the newly constituted Greater Bengaluru Authority, making its present location unlawful.

Failure to Protect Local Commuters

The court was particularly critical of the absence of safeguards for residents who rely on the highway for short, essential daily travel. Authorities had failed to provide service roads or alternative routes that would allow locals to bypass the toll plaza.

This, the court observed, effectively forced residents to pay a fee even for routine movement such as commuting to work, school, hospitals, or markets. The judge described this situation as unjust and oppressive, noting that it amounted to a failure of duty on the part of both the National Highways Authority of India and the toll concessionaire.

The court also pointed out that in such cases, a closed user fee collection system should have been implemented, ensuring that short-distance local users are not treated the same as long-distance highway travellers.

Clear Directives and a Firm Deadline

As part of its ruling, the High Court issued a set of mandatory directions. The NHAI and the concessionaire have been instructed to issue free local resident passes with zero user fee to all eligible residents living in the surrounding villages. The process of verifying residency and issuing these passes must be completed within 30 days.

The court made it clear that compliance is not optional. If free passes are not issued within the stipulated timeframe, toll collection at Somanahalli must be stopped immediately. In such a scenario, the authorities would be required to relocate the toll plaza to a location that meets the mandatory 10 km distance rule.

During the hearing, the government argued that residents could avail themselves of discounted monthly passes priced at Rs 340. The court rejected this argument outright, stating that concessions cannot replace strict adherence to statutory requirements. Legal violations, the court said, cannot be justified through partial relief measures.

For now, residents along Kanakapura Road are awaiting the implementation of the order, a ruling that could set a wider precedent for toll plazas operating within expanding urban limits across Karnataka.

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