KOCHI: The residents of Mulavukad, Cheranelloor, and Kadamakudi panchayats will be exempted from payment of toll for using the 17-km Container Terminal Road linking Kalamassery with Vallarpadam ICTT, a meeting chaired by District Collector Muhammed Y. Safirulla decided on Saturday.
Toll will be introduced only after the 2.6-km service road between Bolghatty and Kattathukkadavu, running parallel to the Container Terminal Road, is ready. “Passes will be issued to residents of the three panchayats to claim exemption from paying toll. Additional District Magistrate Jose M.P. will hold discussions with panchayat secretaries and officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) next week to complete the procedures,” the Collector said.
The date of commencement of toll collection will be decided at the government level and conveyed to the NHAI authorities, he added.
For the record, local residents under the Mulavukad Janakeeya Samiti had opposed toll collection before the construction of the service road and had prevented the NHAI from going ahead with toll collection on more than one occasion, though the toll plaza was set up sometime ago.
The meeting also decided to set up seven box culverts from Mulavukad police station to the toll plaza. Residents had opposed the NHAI’s plan to use pipe culverts, saying it would result in water-logging during rainy season.
S. Sharma MLA, NHAI Project Director S.L. Raj Purohit, and representatives of local panchayats attended the meeting, which was held at the Goshree Development Authority office.
