Toll collection on Kozhikode Bypass from Jan 1; Key details about concessions and monthly passes

Kozhikode: Toll collection will begin from the New Year day on the Kozhikode bypass stretch from Ramanattukara to Vengalam. Toll rates have been finalised, and a notification will be issued in the coming days. The notification has received approval. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials said efforts are on to start toll collection on January 1 itself once the notification is published.

A trial run will be conducted on Monday. Though the toll plaza is located at Koodathumpaara near Pantheerankavu, it will be known as the Olavanna Toll Plaza. Residents living within a 20-kilometre radius of the plaza can avail a monthly pass costing ₹340, which allows unlimited travel for one month. The passes will be issued from the toll plaza starting Monday with required documents. Concessions will also be available for commercial vehicles registered in Kozhikode district that do not hold national permits.

Toll collection will be carried out by Huli, a Maharashtra-based company, which has been appointed for a period of three months. After that, a fresh tender will be invited, and toll rates may change. The new tender will be awarded for a period of one year. The toll plaza will have round-the-clock medical services, including a doctor. In addition to two ambulances, the plaza will also have a vehicle equipped to carry out temporary repairs if vehicles meet with accidents anywhere on the bypass.

Cameras have been installed along the entire stretch to detect road accidents and other traffic violations. The control room for these cameras is located at the toll plaza. In the event of an accident, alerts will be received through a mobile app at the control room. On the Thalassery–Mahe bypass, toll collection has begun only at Thiruvangad so far. On the Ramanattukara–Kuttippuram stretch, a toll plaza has also been set up at Vettichira. In the Azhiyur–Vengalam stretch, another toll plaza is planned at Azhiyur.

The six-lane Kozhikode bypass has already been fully opened to traffic. Service road construction at Malaparamba will be completed within two weeks. Land acquisition for service roads is still pending near HiLite Mall and close to MetroMed Hospital. Meanwhile, widening work on four bridges across rivers along the bypass is progressing.

Work on the Maambuzha bridge has been completed, with only the approach road remaining. Beams manufactured in Pune are being brought and installed here. NHAI officials said restrictions have been imposed on two-wheelers and three-wheelers on the national highway.

There are no service roads in the stretches crossing rivers. Only in such areas are two-wheelers and three-wheelers permitted to enter the six-lane carriageway. NHAI officials noted that two-wheelers and autorickshaws using the high-speed corridor have been contributing to traffic accidents.