Court orders shifting of Kappalur toll plaza

MADURAI: The Madras high court Madurai bench's order to shift the Kappalur toll plaza near Thirumangalam in the district will come as a major relief to commuters on the national highway 208 (Madurai ? Kollam) who often end up quarrelling with personnel at the toll booth.
The commuters, mostly proceeding towards NH 208 that is Srivilliputhur, Rajapalayam, Tenkasi, Courtallam, Shencottah and Kollam in Kerala, have to enter the Thirumangalam Road, which is just one km away from the Kappalur toll plaza established on NH-7's four-way track and thereby end up paying toll though they hardly use 1.5 km of the stretch before reaching NH 208.
Though such passengers need not use the NH-7 fully, they end up paying the same toll like those pay for the four-way stretch. Due to there, commuters of NH 208 not only end up quarrelling with those at the toll plaza but face mental agony. To end such immoral and illegal collection by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), a Madurai-based advocate R Murali filed a case in 2012. Subsequently, advocate and former MLA T S R Venkataramana filed a public interest litigation the same year.
On these cases, the division bench of justices V Ramasubramanian and V M Velumani passed orders on Thursday. In the order, the bench directed the NHAI to shift the Kappalur toll plaza from its present location to a place where NH 7 and NH 208 bifurcate.
Regarding this, the NHAI should take a decision within four weeks. Until then, the NHAI should not collect toll from vehicles proceeding to NH 208, the order said.
Upon coming to know about the court order, commuters using NH 208 expressed happiness at the decision. They also welcomed the verdict and thanked the court.
"Whenever money is paid at the toll plaza commuters undergo mental agony because, technically there is no need to pay the amount. The NHAI has not done anything for the commuters of NH 208," said M Kesavan of Srivilliputtur.
"The court's order comes as a great relief to the 300 industrialists and 15,000 workers of Kappalur, which is an industrial area. Due to toll collection people working in the industries face problems every day. Materials cannot be transported unless the toll fee is paid," said A L Palaniappan, vice-president of Kappalur Industrial Association.
It may be recalled that during the hearing, the court was told that the NHAI and the licensee company (Eagle Infra India Limited) were hand-in-glove and set up the toll plaza at Kappalur, to extract money from vehicles travelling from Madurai to Srivilliputtur and beyond on NH-208. Hence, those vehicles which need not use NH-7 should not be subjected to any levy, the court was told.
The court was further told that as per the existing norms no toll plaza will be allowed within 10 km from the limits of municipality or corporation, but the location is hardly 1.5 km away from the limit of Thirumangalam municipal area.