Onam rush: Kerala High Court denies NHAI plea to restart Paliyekkara toll

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has rejected a request from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to resume toll collection at Paliyekkara, despite its claim that repairs to the service road had been completed.

A three-member panel appointed by the court, comprising the district collector, district police chief and regional transport officer, submitted a report stating that a permanent solution to the congestion had not been achieved through widening the service road. The panel said traffic had only been eased by diverting vehicles, a move it warned could again cause difficulties for the public.

A division bench led by Justice Muhammad Mushtaq dismissed the NHAI’s plea, blocking attempts by the authority and its contractors to reintroduce toll collection ahead of Onam.

The court has adjourned the matter to September 9 and directed the three-member committee to conduct another inspection at the site.