NHAI toll plaza within 10 km of town,60 km of next toll plaza illegal

Ahmedabad, 15 May, 2014

Madras High Court today granted an intermin injunction restraining National Highways Authority of India(NHAI) from collecting toll at Paranur near Chengalpet in Tamilnadu.

The ground of ordering stay on toll collection are interesting.

Applicant Govind Chandrashekhar in his PIL submitted:

-Establishment of the toll plaza itself illegal.The booth was just 2 km from Chengalpet town, though Rule 8 of the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008 stipulates there can not be any toll plaza within 10 km of cities.

-Though the distance between two toll plazas should not be less than 60 km, that between Paranur and the next booth at Athur was about 47 km only. This is contrary to Rule 8 (2) of the Fee Rules which says toll plazas cannot be set up in the same section within 60 km distance.

-Statutory rules are breached. Toll fees were being ‘arbitrarily’ revised and collected. Adequate facilities to public were not provided. Not even an ambulance was made available at regular points.

These details could be useful for those interested to challenge toll plazas legally in other states too.