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Cars, jeeps and other light motor vehicles will have to pay a toll of Rs 120 for a single journey and Rs 180 for a return journey on the same day, according to communications issued by NHAI. For commercial vehicles in these categories, the toll will be Rs 195 for a single journey and Rs 290 for the return journey. Congress and CPM have announced protest marches to the toll plaza, alleging that NHAI is seeking to collect toll even before completing the road work.
CPM district secretary K V Abdul Khader said work on bridges at several locations, including Orumanayoor (Chavakkad), Chettuva and Vadanappally, had not been completed. CPM will launch intense agitations against this,” Khader said. The construction of drains also remained incomplete, he said. When contacted, NHAI project director Praveen said toll would be collected only for those stretches of the road where the work had been completed.
Similarly, the construction of approach roads in areas such as Edamuttam and Moonnupeedika remained incomplete. Nattika Congress block committee president P I Shoukhathali alleged that work on five bridges, including those at Kodungallur and Chettuva, had not been completed.
“In such a context, starting toll collection is against NHAI’s own earlier decision. Shoukhathali added that Congress would take out a march to the toll plaza on Thursday and continue its agitation against toll collection until all the works were completed.