New Delhi
The Supreme Court on Monday stopped the Madras High Court’s order that had stopped toll collection on the Madurai-Tuticorin national highway. The High Court had said tolls could not be collected because the highway was not kept in good condition as required by law.
A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan agreed to hear a special petition by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). The court also sent a notice to V. Balakrishnan, a retired engineer who had asked the High Court to stop tolls.
Senior lawyer P Wilson opposed the Supreme Court’s stay order. He called toll collection “daylight robbery” because the road was still in poor shape and not safe for drivers.
The Supreme Court told all parties to finish their arguments soon. The court said it will look at the case carefully later before making a final decision.
The Madras High Court had earlier ruled that tolls should not be charged on the Madurai-Tuticorin highway until the road is fixed properly according to NHAI standards. The court said people using the highway should only pay tolls if the road is well maintained.
The High Court also pointed out that the contract to keep the highway in good condition was cancelled last year. This happened because the contractor failed to maintain the road as per NHAI rules.
Once the road is fixed properly, the NHAI will be allowed to start collecting tolls again. This case shows the importance of keeping highways safe and well maintained for travelers.