No smooth ride, no fee: SC ruling may reshape highway accountability

The Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the Kerala High Court order suspending toll collection for four weeks on the 65-km Ernakulam-Mannuthy stretch of National Highway 544, observing that road users can't be compelled to pay a fee when access was blocked due to traffic jams, disrepair and bottlenecks.

- Priyanka Gawande

The Supreme Court has refused to interfere with the Kerala High Court order suspending toll collection for four weeks on the 65-km Ernakulam-Mannuthy stretch of National Highway 544, observing that road users can't be compelled to pay a fee when access was blocked due to traffic jams, disrepair and bottlenecks. The top court's Monday judgment will likely set a precedent for other highways that are in a bad condition.

"We are clear in our minds that there is no cause for interference to the interim order and we are convinced not only that the High Court order be sustained, but the division bench also be requested to monitor the situation to ensure ease of traffic," the apex court said in its order.