Thrissur, 08 Oct (H.S):Toll collection at the Nattika toll plaza on National Highway 66 has been temporarily suspended following protests by political parties opposing charges on a stretch where construction remains incomplete.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Public Works Department Minister in Thiruvananthapuram. The district collector has reportedly been directed to issue an order suspending collection.

The National Highways Authority of India’s decision to begin collecting toll on Thursday triggered opposition, with protesters pointing to unfinished roadworks and pending bridge construction along the coastal highway.

United Democratic Front workers gathered at the plaza from early morning and staged a blockade, declaring that motorists should not be charged before the road was fully completed. Tensions escalated when police attempted to remove the protesters, leading to confrontations at the site.

A large police contingent had been deployed around the toll plaza before dawn in anticipation of the agitation. Despite the deployment, UDF workers assembled and continued their blockade against the proposed collection.

Left parties, including the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India, had earlier organised protest marches against the move. Congress and other major political parties, except the Bharatiya Janata Party, have also opposed the introduction of toll charges while highway work remains unfinished.

The protesters maintained that the authorities should complete the remaining road and bridge works before allowing toll collection. Their campaign centred on opposition to charging road users while construction on the stretch was still under way.

Thursday’s blockade brought the dispute to a head as authorities prepared to implement the toll collection decision. Police efforts to clear the gathering further heightened tensions.

The temporary suspension follows the escalating agitation. Further details on the duration of the suspension and the conditions for resuming collection are awaited from the authorities following the ministerial meeting.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman