Transport Minister Antony Raju on Monday urged Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari to avoid the situation of toll being increased at Thiruvallam toll plaza on the National Highway. The Minister wrote the letter to the Union Minister as per the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. In the letter, the Minister also sought to shift the toll plaza south of Kovalam.
Changing the existing toll collection from the Build-Operate-Transfer model to the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model will lead to a significant increase in fares, the Minister said. The unscientific hike in toll at Thiruvallam, through which the citizens of Thiruvananthapuram pass daily, cannot be accepted, the letter noted.
Having to spend a huge amount of money as toll every time to travel to Kovalam, a prominent tourist destination in Kerala, will also be a threat to the State’s tourism industry. By shifting the toll plaza to the south of Kovalam, this can be avoided, the Minister noted. Requesting the Union Minister to take a favourable decision in the matter, the Minister also said that the significant increase in toll in Thiruvallam is not only a disregard for the capital city but also for Kerala.
