The Kerala High Court has further extended the interim suspension of toll collection at National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)’s Paliyekkara toll plaza, in the wake of massive traffic hold-ups on the Edapally-Thrissur NH 544 corridor due to inadequate and shoddily maintained diversion/service roads.
The court had earlier suspended toll collection till September 9. On Tuesday (September 9, 2025), a Division Bench of the High Court comprising Justices A. Muhammed Mustaque and Harisankar V. Menon directed the District Collector of Thrissur to appear online on Wednesday (September 10) and to clarify on concerns about traffic movement through the corridor. On its part, the police informed the court that there were still bottlenecks at some service roads near underpass and flyover work sites on the corridor. It added that traffic snarls and the subsequent chaos was in turn leading to accidents near work sites.
Stating that such issues could not be ignored, the court asked why the Union government was not intervening in the issue. The NHAI had earlier this month announced a hike in toll, even as the suspension of toll collection was in vogue.
Panel’s report
On its part, the Interim Traffic Management Committee that was set up recently, submitted its report before the court after inspecting among others NH stretches at Amballur, Perambra, Muringoor, Koratty and Chirangara. The committee cited the need to repair and widen service roads, to improve transition length, drainage, rectify issues relating to culvert slabs, lights, bilingual diversion and sign boards. It also suggested deployment of more personnel to streamline traffic flow. Reports by the police and the Motor Vehicles department (MVD), too had suggested similar steps to streamline the flow of vehicles.
Stating that expediting the works on the main carriageway of underpasses on NH 544 will provide a solution and reduce the need for diversions, the Chairman of the committee said directions have been issued to the project director of the NHAI to take steps in this regard.
The Thrissur District Collector had on August 21 submitted before the court that service roads of the NH 544 corridor (through which vehicles were being diverted near work sites) were in ‘severely deteriorated condition’. The progress of underpass works was markedly slow, due to inadequate deployment of manpower and machinery. The NHAI must hence undertake the works on a war footing, while taking steps to install adequate diversion and signboards.
The High Court had in August extended the interim suspension on collecting toll at the Paliyekkara toll plaza till September 9, following a 12-hour long traffic snarl. The court action followed a barrage of petitions that were filed demanding that the NHAI take steps to streamline traffic flow around flyover and underpass work sites.
Published – September 09, 2025 05:28 pm IST
