The question arose on 18/8 when the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) appealed an earlier supreme court ruling. On 14/8, a three-judge panel upheld an earlier decision to suspend toll collection at the Paliyekkara toll plaza in Thrissur, Kerala. The original suspension was issued in early August.

"Why should someone pay 150 rupees (about 1.7 USD) for a 65 km journey that takes 12 hours? It should only take an hour, yet it takes an additional 11, and they still have to pay the toll," the chief justice said.

Vehicles queue in a traffic jam at a construction site in Kerala. Photo: Indian Express

Vehicles queue in a traffic jam at a construction site in Kerala. Photo: Indian Express

The supreme court ordered the toll suspension on 6/8 due to the deteriorated condition of National Highway 544 and severe traffic congestion caused by ongoing construction.

One judge stated that the accident causing the congestion wasn't a "natural disaster," as the NHAI representative argued, but a truck overturning due to a pothole. The judge also deemed the 12-hour ordeal unacceptable.

The toll operator claimed responsibility for maintaining 60 km of the road and blamed third-party contractors for the congestion.

"My revenue can't be halted when I'm not responsible for work assigned to others. The impact on me has reached 50-60 million rupees in just 10 days," Divan said, calling the high court's order "completely unfair."

The high court allowed the toll operator to claim losses from NHAI. However, the operator argued this was insufficient as daily maintenance costs continued while revenue was stalled.

The court previously stated the relationship between the public and NHAI is a form of "public trust," and the failure to maintain smooth traffic flow violated that trust.

My Anh (according to Hindustan Times)