Madras High Court puts on hold order barring TNSTC buses from crossing NHAI toll plazas in south T.N.

The Madras High Court on Thursday (July 10, 2025) kept in abeyance till July 31, 2025, an order passed by it on Tuesday (July 8), directing four National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) concessionaires in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu not to let Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses pass through their toll plazas due to the non-payment of toll arrears of ₹276 crore.

Justice N. Anand Venkatesh kept his order in abeyance after Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran informed the court that the Transport Secretary had called for a meeting on Thursday with the NHAI concessionaires and hopefully, some solution would be found, though the government had reservations about the quantum of arrears.

The judge said, the issue of fixing Fastag in the TNSTC buses could also be resolved since it had now become mandatory for all motor vehicles, and failure to fix them could lead to the levy of penalty. He also took into consideration the hardship that would be caused to those who use public transport before deciding to keep his previous order in abeyance.

Madurai-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited, Kanniyakumari-Etturavattam Tollway Private Limited, Salaipudur-Madurai Tollway Private Limited, and Nanguneri-Kanniyakumari Tollway Private Limited had filed a batch of writ petitions in 2024, accusing the TNSTC of not having settled a huge amount of toll arrears.

Passing interim orders on the petitions on Tuesday, the judge had directed them not to permit TNSTC buses to ply through the Kappalur, Etturavattam, Salaipudhur, and Nanguneri toll plazas, and directed the Director General of Police as well as Inspector General of Police (south zone) to deploy adequate police force at those plazas.