The Kerala High Court had, in August 2025, ruled that toll rates should not be increased unless the traffic congestion on the national highway was addressed.
| Photo Credit: File photo K.K. NAJEEB
Motorists using the Paliyekkara toll plaza on National Highway (NH) 544 may soon have to dig deeper into their pockets, with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) giving the contract company the green signal to revise toll rates. However, the proposed hike cannot be implemented without the approval of the Kerala High Court.
The revised rates, scheduled to take effect from September 1, will therefore remain on hold until the High Court gives its clearance.
The court had, in August 2025, ruled that toll rates should not be increased unless the traffic congestion on the national highway was addressed. Toll collection at the Paliyekkara plaza was subsequently halted for a period.
Although toll collection was later restored, the annual rate revision scheduled for September 1 last year was not allowed to come into force. As a result, motorists at Paliyekkara are still being charged according to the toll rates fixed in 2024.
If the High Court gives the revised rates the green light, car owners will face an increase of more than 10% in the toll for a single journey. The one-way toll for cars will rise from ₹90 to ₹100, while the charge for more than one journey in a day will increase from ₹140 to ₹145.
Small commercial vehicles
Small commercial vehicles will see the one-way toll rise from ₹160 to ₹170, while the charge for multiple journeys in a day will go up from ₹240 to ₹255.
For buses and trucks, the one-way toll will increase from ₹320 to ₹345. The charge for more than one journey in a day will rise from ₹485 to ₹515.
Multi-axle vehicles will also face a higher toll, with the single-trip charge going up from ₹515 to ₹550. The rate for multiple journeys in a day will increase from ₹775 to ₹825.
The notification announcing the revised toll rates from September 1 also makes it clear that the hike will come into effect only in accordance with the directions of the High Court.
Published – August 30, 2026 05:04 pm IST
