Madras HC cuts toll of ‘poor’ Tamil Nadu road by 50%, but users pay full 100% – Times of India

CHENNAI: Four days after the Madras high court ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to collect only half the user fee at the two toll plazas between Maduravoyal and Walajapet because of the poor condition of this stretch of the Chennai-Bengaluru highway, commuters are still forced to pay the full fee.
A senior NHAI official from the Chennai Regional Office said they had not received a copy of the Madras HC’s order yet. On Wednesday, the court had said “NHAI should hang their heads in shame for laying such roads” and directed it to collect only half the fee for two weeks till December 21. On Sunday, TOI independently verified that the full one-way fee of ₹50 and ₹45 for cars were still being collected at the toll plazas at Sriperumbudur and Chennasamudram near Walajapet respectively (both in cash mode and Fastag mode).
“It is disappointing to see a central government agency like the NHAI not taking the high court’s direction seriously,” said S Yuvaraj from Tamil Nadu Truckers’ Association, who had filed a police complaint against these tolls last year. According to official data, more than ₹133 crore is collected as toll at these two plazas every year.
‘There are half-a-dozen potholes on this stretch’
Around 1.5 lakh vehicles daily use this stretch of the toll road, which also sees 460 accidents every year. Nazrathpet junction, the second-most dangerous road stretch in the country with 95 deaths in three years, is on this stretch. But, it remains a four-lane road with hardly any signboards warning of accident-prone spots or ongoing road repairs.D Siddharth from Poonamalle, who frequently visits his native village in Vellore, said, “Name a 200-metre stretch between Maduravoyal and Walajapet, and I can show you at least half-adozen potholes”. Hardly any action has been taken against traffic offences such as driving on the wrong side or jumping red signals, he said.
Yuvaraj cites official documents to point out that NHAI should have expanded this 96-km stretch into a six-lane road way back in 2013.
An NHAI official said, “Six-laning, which was commenced in 2013, should have been completed by November 2015 but agreement with concessionaire was terminated in 2016 following a dispute. Temporary rectification works are almost nearing completion at accident blackspots”.
Responding to public criticism, agitations and litigations, Tamil Nadu Highway Department had to step in and sanction Rs.60 crore for taking up improvement works in this stretch.