Kochi: The Kerala High Court has pulled up the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), making it clear that toll cannot be collected at Paliyekkara until damaged stretches are repaired. The court extended its stay on toll collection after the District Collector reported that the service road at Muringoor — recently repaired — had collapsed again, causing major traffic disruption.
“First repair the road, then collect toll,” the Division Bench of Justice Mohammed Mushtaq and Justice Harishankar V. Menon observed, while directing urgent restoration works. The court has also sought a detailed report from the District Collector before passing further orders.
While NHAI and the Union Government argued that toll collection should not be suspended over “minor issues,” the bench rejected their contention, stressing that commuters cannot be charged without proper infrastructure.
The petition will be heard again on Thursday, with the court set to review the Collector’s compliance report.
