The Supreme Court has pulled up the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over the dismal state of roads at Kerala’s Paliyekkara toll plaza, questioning why tolls are being collected without proper maintenance. “Why hasn’t the road been repaired despite collecting toll?” Chief Justice B.R. Gavai asked, highlighting that the severe traffic congestion is so bad that even ambulances struggle to pass. Justice K. Vinod Chandran echoed the concern.
Hearing NHAI’s appeal against a Kerala High Court order suspending toll collection for four weeks, CJI Gavai recalled his own difficulty navigating the toll plaza — despite travelling with an escort vehicle. The bench demanded to know why toll collection began before roadworks were finished and urged that congestion issues be addressed within the suspension period, stressing that the public should not be made to suffer due to disputes between NHAI and its contractors.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta attributed the jams to “black spots” and delayed infrastructure works in surrounding areas. But Justice Chandran, familiar with the locality, pointed out that these problem spots are far from the toll plaza itself. CJI Gavai noted the judge’s local insight, while Mehta remarked that he hails from “God’s Own Country.”
