Kerala High Court Tasks Committee To Monitor Traffic On NH 544 Where It Suspended Toll, Suggests Daytime Ban On Heavy Vehicles

The division bench comprising Justice A. Muhammed Mustaque and Justice Harisankar V. Menon observed that a monitoring mechanism is essential to ensure smooth traffic movement.

The bench noted the 12-hour blockade reported recently, highlighted the urgent need for intervention.

“In fact, some monitoring committee should be there to ensure that the traffic... It is now, perhaps for the reason that there is no toll, all the commuters would opt to go through this road,” the Bench orally remarked.

The Court further suggested exploring restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles during daytime hours. “Why can't you restrict the plying of lorries during day time at least from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.? Let them go through the other way,” the bench asked.

The Committee consists of the District Collector, the District Police Superintendent, and the RTO as members. The Court stated that other officials and representatives need not be members of the committee, it must hear MPs, MLAs, and local authorities before finalizing the plan. The Court left the discretion to the committee to decide whether daytime restrictions on lorries or diversions for heavy vehicles are necessary.

Background

The petitions stated that there is severe traffic congestion in the Mannuthy–Edappally stretch of NH 544, particularly near the Paliyekkara Toll Plaza, due to ongoing construction, especially the underpass projects sanctioned by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

In one of the petitions, the petitioner has stated that due to the severe traffic congestion, the District Collector of Thrissur (5th respondent) had issued an order (Exhibit P1) directing Guruvayoor Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. (8th respondent) to stop collecting toll fees for a limited period until effective measures were taken to ease traffic congestion. It is also stated that another order (Exhibit P2) was issued the very next day cancelling Exhibit P1 order and allowed toll collection to resume.

Subsequently, the Kerala High Court has suspended the toll collection in NH 544 for a period of 4 weeks by an order dated Aug 6, 2025which was affirmed by the Supreme Court by order dated 18, August.

Case Title - Shaji J Kodankadath v Union of India and connected cases

Case No - WP(C) 20253/2021 and connected cases

Counsel for Petitioners - K B Gangesh, Smitha Chathanarambath, Amal S Kumar, Athira A Menon, 

Counsel for Respondents - O M Shalina, Nanavati Maulik G, Arun Thomas, Jennis Stephen, Anil Sebastian Pulickel, P Martin Jose, P Prijith, Thoman P Kurivila, Ajay Ben Jose, Manjunath Menon, Hani P Nair, R Githesh, Sachin Jacob Ambat, Anna Lind Eden, Harikrishnan S, Mathews K Philip, 

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