The Supreme Court has raised sharp questions over toll collection on a Kerala highway after reports of a 12-hour traffic jam, even drawing a parallel with Delhi’s rain-related chaos. During the hearing on the Paliyakkara toll plaza case, Chief Justice of India BR Gavai remarked, “In Delhi, if it rains for two hours, the entire city gets paralysed,” highlighting infrastructure vulnerabilities across the country.

The case pertains to the Kerala High Court’s order suspending toll collection at the Paliyakkara plaza on NH-544 for four weeks due to the poor condition of the Edappally-Mannuthy stretch. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) challenged this decision in the Supreme Court.

A bench comprising CJI Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria expressed frustration over the state of roads, referring to a newspaper report about a 12-hour traffic jam. “Why should someone pay ₹150 toll for a 65-km stretch if it takes 12 hours to cover a road that should take one hour?” the court asked. Justice Chandran even suggested that instead of proportionate toll reduction, NHAI should compensate travellers stuck for such long durations.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta defended NHAI, calling the incident “an act of God” after a truck overturned due to monsoon conditions. However, Justice Chandran pointed out that the truck fell into a pit caused by poor road maintenance. The court stressed that instead of wasting time in appeals, NHAI should focus on improving road conditions, noting that even ambulances face severe delays during traffic jams.

The top court has reserved its order but hinted at upholding the Kerala High Court’s stance. Meanwhile, the IMD’s monsoon-related challenges and NHAI’s maintenance lapses remain under scrutiny as road safety and toll collection practices spark nationwide debate.