Vehicles line up in long queues at Olavanna toll plaza on Kozhikode bypass (NH-66) on January 17. Photo credit: K. Ragesh
Anti-toll protesters at the newly introduced toll plaza at Olavanna on the Kozhikode bypass (NH 66) suspended their agitation against toll collection for a week following the assurance of District Collector Snehila Kumar Singh on Saturday (January 17).
The mediation talks, chaired by the Collector in his chamber in the evening, were attended by representatives of the toll protesters and officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Toll collection on the square was introduced on January 15. But the protesters said they had agreed to suspend the agitation but warned it would intensify if no solution emerged within a week.
They alleged that the levy was introduced without any scientific basis and it was a harrowing experience for the residents.
Dinesh Perumanna, a Congress leader and representative of the protesters, said the decision to suspend the agitation was conditional. “The Collector has assured us that a solution will be worked out within a week. Until then, we have decided to stop the protest. If the issues are not resolved, the agitation will continue with greater intensity,” he added.
NHAI project director Prashant Dubey said the objections were related to incomplete service roads at several locations, including Malaparamba, the service road near HiLITE Mall and Kodal Nadakkavu. “The sections that are being worked on are only 400 to 500 meters in total. Toll collection on the completed highway of over 54 km cannot be stopped because of such short sections,” he said, adding that the delay was mainly due to problems with the purchase of land beyond the authority’s control.
He said timelines were given for the completion of work at each site and that construction would continue as soon as land became available. “A journey that used to take three to four hours now takes around 30 to 45 minutes due to improved infrastructure,” he said, pointing out the scale of investment in the project.
Published – 17 Jan 2026 20:26 IST
