Toll collection resumes unannounced on ICTT Road

KOCHI: On Tuesday, regular commuters from other districts were taken by surprise after toll collection began unannounced at Ponnarimangalam toll plaza on ICTT Road at Vallarpadam. From Wednesday, toll will also be levied from vehicles registered in Ernakulam.
Earlier, toll collection at Ponnarimangalam plaza had run into trouble with people protesting against the move over the approach road from Mulavukad.Meanwhile, collector S Suhas said he might discussing the matter with officials concerned and take action accordingly.
Earlier, when the representatives of the toll collection agency started collecting user fee in January, residents demanded that toll collection can begin only after the approach road from Mulavukad is constructed. This forced authorities to suspend toll collection from all vehicles, barring commercial ones, despite objection from container operators.
The construction work of the approach road remains incomplete. “The construction agency has not constructed three culverts on Mulavukad approach road. Besides, there are no lights on the highway. The construction of a drain near Bolgatty Junction was stopped midway as it was constructed in unscientific manner and it would lead to waterlogging in the area,” said Antony, a native of Mulavukad
He added that the previous district collector had made it clear that the toll collection can start only after the construction of the approach road is completed. “But, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) started toll collection, claiming that the collector allowed them to start toll collection after election ended. But the claim was made only to mislead the public as the former collector was transferred to Thiruvananthapuram. We were not informed that toll collection would resume on Tuesday,” he added.
Meanwhile, NHAI officials said the toll collection started following the permission given by former Ernakulam district before Lok Sabha election. “The agency can collect toll from all vehicles when Lok Sabha election ends, the district collector had told us then. People here demanded that the district collector should give a written order on toll collection. But that may not have happened. But if there is no decision on that, let people hold a meeting on that. But, as per the notification of the government the agency can collect toll from all vehicles,” said the NHAI official.
The construction of the road was completed in April 2015 by Soma Constructions.