The Kerala High Court has once again extended the suspension of toll collection at Paliyekkara on the Edappally–Mannuthy National Highway, directing authorities to prioritize public interest over revenue.
Hearing a plea on the worsening congestion along the Thrissur–Ernakulam stretch of NH-544, the court criticized the district collector–led committee for submitting an “incomplete” report and warned officials: “Don’t test the patience of the public.”
The bench emphasized that toll collection will not resume until a comprehensive, updated report on decongestion measures is submitted.
The NHAI claimed it had already implemented 13 of the 18 directives issued by the collector, with progress being made on the rest. However, the judges insisted that people’s hardship must remain the focus.
The case was heard by Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice Harishankar V. Menon, who granted the collector time until Thursday to present a fresh report.
Toll collection at Paliyekkara has remained suspended since August 6 after traffic snarls worsened on the busy national highway.
