Thiruvananthapuram: Toll collection in Toluvallam toll booth in Kazhakkoottam-Karode NH Breads Stretch is affected for the second day in a row after strong protests.
Suggestions made by NHAI officials to provide free feedback to motorists who live in a radius of five km of toll booths is also rejected by the protesters.
Although the toll collection began on Wednesday morning at 8 am, immediately stopped after protest.
Dyfi activists also joined protests on Wednesday by taking a march to the toll booth.
Meanwhile, with senior leadership of the main political front disturbing this problem, agitation seems to be increasing in the coming days.
Congress has launched unlimited agitation under the leadership of Kovalam MLA M Vincent, and former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala will join the protesters in Thiruvallam at 9am.
Minister of Education V Sivankutti, who is the legislator of Nemom’s constituency where the new toll plaza is also a default in this matter.
He has written to the Union Minister for road transportation and Jalan Raya Nitin Gadkari who tried to stop the collection toll until the stretch bypass works finished.
Only the first phase of the bypass, from Kazhakootam to Mukkola was finished now.
The second phase job, from Mukkola to Karode, it’s still on.
In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Sivankutti also urged the State Minister of Union for external affairs V Muraleedharan and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor to intervene in this matter and overcome public concerns around the square.
Speaking to Toi, Kovalam Mla M Vincent said the offer made by Nhai to give a free feedback to the population within five km of the toll plaza was not acceptable.
“Residents of nine villages are directly affected by the collection of tolls and not all of them are under this 5 km radius,” Mla said.
He added that even though NHAI has widened bypass roads, the way of unscientist work has caused traffic in Thiruvallam, something that has never existed for the past 35 years.
These problems must also be resolved, he said.