Maintain toll roads to ensure smooth flow of vehicles: Madras High Court

Chennai: NHAI is bound to maintain toll roads to facilitate smooth and safe movement of vehicular traffic, the Madras high court has said. Dismissing a PIL by advocate Govind Chandrasekhar, who sought to restrain collection of toll on the four-lane NH-45 at Paranur, Chengalpet, the first bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam said toll roads were an ancient concept.

The Bench said roads needed a steady stream of funding to support ongoing maintenance that will keep them safe and drivable.  “Toll roads are meant to ensure free flow of traffic, save commuters time, ensure safety, increase fuel economy”, the Bench observed. “National highways, in coordination with the local superintendent of police and district collectors, should device ways and means to ensure that the national highways/toll roads are barricaded and travelling public in the villages and towns near the national highway sensitized not to cross the national highways except in designated places, as they are putting their life to peril”, the Bench said.

V. Raghavachari, petitioner’s counsel, sought a directive to prevent the authorities from collecting toll fee at Paranur, alleging that the establishment of the plaza was illegal and toll fee collected was exorbitant contrary to approved rates. In his reply, P. Wilson, senior counsel for NHAI, submitted that the work of four-laning completed under ‘BOT (Annuity) category’ between the Tambaram and Tindivanam was completed in 2004 at cost of Rs 448.59 crore.

NHAI had to pay annuity of Rs 1255.68 crore in 30 instalments (twice a year) to the BOT (Annuity) Concessionaire for a period of 15 years from 2005 to 2019, which included maintenance, special repairs, renewals, safety related issues. The Bench said NHAI should ensure that all roads leading from town and villages, which have to necessarily access to the toll road/national highway, should be clearly barricaded.