Container Road toll to be effective from today

Kochi: The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to impose a toll on Container Road connecting Kalamassery to Vallarpadam Transshipment Terminal from Thursday disregarding local resistance.  

Rates ranging from Rs 45 to Rs 305 for a one-way trip and Rs 70 to Rs 460 for two-way on a single day will become valid from the Ponnarimangalam Toll Plaza, according to an NHAI notification. 

Monthly passes for cars and jeeps cost Rs 1,575, LCVs Rs 2,545, double-axle bus and trucks Rs 5,335, triple-axle buses and trucks Rs 5,820, heavy vehicles Rs 8,365 and vehicles such as JCB Rs 10,185. The people residing within 20 km of the toll plaza can avail monthly pass of Rs 255 for non-commercial vehicles.

The toll for vehicles registered in Ernakulam district ranges from Rs 25 to Rs 155 based on the classification.

The national highway protection committee called it anti-people and against the idea of freedom of movement. “The land for the highway was acquired after evicting several families,” the committee leader Hashim Chennampally said. 

“The concept of toll was not mentioned anywhere then.” The people opposing the toll also pointed out non-completion of service roads. The norms of NHAI say that without the completion of the service roads, toll should not be imposed, they say. According to Aam Aadmi Party leader C.R. Neelakadan, who heads the NH Protection Committee, the NHAI has no right to impose toll after the escalation of costs to Rs 909 crore from the original estimate of Rs 525 crore.