The Thiruvallam toll plaza on the Kazhakootam-Karode bypass on the national highway has been a scene of protests for the past few days. The reason is that the tolls have been increased at an unfair rate. Toll collection on all new national highways is common all over the country and no one has any objection to it. That is because people have the mentality that even though we have to pay the toll, we can drive the vehicle on a good quality road. However, no one can accommodate the toll rates introduced on the short distance of Kazhakootam - Karode road. Two years ago, when the toll was first introduced in Thiruvallam, the fare for small vehicles like cars was 70 rupees in one direction. Increasing it multiple times, now the toll has reached Rs 150. Rs 975 for large cargo vehicles. Highway Authority started the toll collection in Thiruvallam without providing basic facilities such as service roads related to the highway. There are many places on this road which have become constant accident zones. The inadequacy of service roads is causing great distress to residents on both sides of the highway. Now locals have to pay a toll of Rs 245 for a visit to Kovalam, the nearest tourist destination. The main reason for this is the unscientific positioning of the toll plaza.

The toll system was introduced to recover the money spent on highway development, but it is turning into an arrangement to extort vehicle owners. Since the toll has been in place for many years, the exchequer reaches many times the money spent on road construction. Revenue from toll plazas including Paliyekkara in Kerala is an example of this. During the last one and a half decades, hundreds of long-distance and cross-country roads have been developed across the country. New road upgrades are happening everywhere. The reason being given for the high tolls being levied for new roads and bridges is that these developments require huge investments. This points to the need for a new system for toll collection.

A small state like Kerala does not have many smooth and fast roads. A town is anywhere within five or ten kilometres. The new national highway development was supposed to be completed two decades ago. It was delayed due to obstacles encountered in acquiring the land. Now the hurdles have been overcome and the road development is going on at a fast pace. Within three years, Kerala will also have good-quality roads to travel on. Since the land for road renovation is acquired by the state, the opinion of the state government should also be heard while fixing the toll rate. The reason for the unfair rate in Thiruvallam is that there is no such provision at present. Considering the people's protest, the government needs to urgently intervene and find a solution to this problem.