The Madras High Court on Monday extended till January 18 an interim order it had passed on December 9, directing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to collect only 50% toll at two plazas situated on the Maduravoyal-Ranipet stretch of National Highway 48, which connects Chennai with Bengaluru.
Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and R. Hemalatha extended the interim order as they were dissatisfied with the repair work carried out to close potholes and craters on the highway. The senior judge said he had personally witnessed the shoddy patchwork that had been done, and had also noticed that several potholes were yet to be closed.
After recording in the order that he had travelled from Chennai to Vellore on Saturday and returned on Sunday, the judge said the patchwork “had not been done to the road level, leading to a bumpy drive.” Noting that the safety of road users was of utmost importance, the Division Bench said the highway was highly unsafe.
Poor maintenance
It pointed out that the median on the highway was not being maintained properly, and that there were no proper signboards and road furniture available for those travelling at night.
The Bench also said that the NHAI had been carrying out only patchwork, and had not re-laid the highway for the last 13 years, citing a proposal to widen it into a six-lane highway.
Though the six-laning work ought to have been completed in 2013 as per the original plan, neither did it fructify nor was the existing highway re-laid. Nevertheless, the NHAI had been collecting toll from the road users despite the harrowing experience they had to undergo due to poor maintenance of the highway, the judges lamented.
Pointing out that the NHAI was touted as a premier agency that had the expertise to lay all-weather roads, the judges said the Maduravoyal-Ranipet stretch of NH 48 did not match even the minimum standards expected of a national highway.
They extended the interim order and directed the NHAI to file a status report by January 18.
