Toll policy: Courts assert road infra a public service
The Tribune Editorial: The authorities must uphold the social contract: ensure safe passage, protect livelihoods and respect the land.
Updated At : 05:54 AM Aug 21, 2025 IST
IN a vital rebuke to misplaced toll policy, the Supreme Court has upheld the Kerala High Court's order suspending toll collection on a deplorably maintained stretch of highway. It has ruled that citizens cannot be forced to pay to traverse potholes and congestion. The Bench, under Chief Justice BR Gavai, reminded the authorities that public service, not revenue extraction, is the foundational justification for tolls. He posed a piercing query: “Why should a person pay Rs 150 if it takes 12 hours for him to get from one end of the road to the other?”
