The collection of toll on the Seaport-Airport Road and the S.N. Junction bridge in Tripunithura is to be withdrawn from November 1. This was announced by Minister for Transport A.K. Saseendran in the State Assembly on Tuesday.
Reacting to the news, the Tripunithura Rajanagari Union of Resisdents’ Association (TRURA) said it was a welcome move by the government. The TRURA had submitted several memoranda demanding withdrawal of the toll at the S.N. Junction, calling it unscientific. It had also submitted documents it had collected through RTI from the Roads and Bridges Development Corporation of Kerala (RBDCK) on the toll collection in support of its demand.
RBDCK managing director Mohammed Hanish told The Hindu that the government had sought details of the total cost yet to be recovered, which remained at Rs. 8 crore. According to him, the toll collection at both the points was a package and hence, the decision could be to withdraw the toll collection at both the points.
The people in Tripunithura and those passing through the town were being taxed with toll at three places - at S.N. Junction, Irimpanam-Kakkanad bridge on the Seaport-Airport Road and the mini bypass, toll on which was withdrawn a few weeks ago.
The toll on the S.N. Junction bridge was introduced soon after the construction of the bridge was completed in July 2004 and was clubbed with the toll on the Seaport-Airport road, the cost of construction of which was pegged at over Rs. 22 crore. While there were many protests against the toll at the S.N. Junction bridge, the RBDCK had approached the Supreme Court to continue the toll after the High Court directed withdrawing the toll in a verdict on a petition a few years ago.
The cost of the bridge with the approach roads was Rs. 5.10 crore (according to the RBDCK website).
It was part-funded by the Railways and the Kochi Refinery had provided Rs. 1 crore towards the construction.
TRURA had sent requests to the government stating that the toll collection had far exceeded the cost of the bridge. Besides, the toll booth was situated in an unscientific manner, located more than than half a kilometre from the bridge and it had been clubbed with the Seaport-Airport road toll, which was more than 1 km from the bridge.
