The Madras High court today ordered notice to the Centre and Tamil Nadu governments on a PIL, seeking a CBI probe into the 'illegal' and 'unauthorised' operation of toll plazas and collection of toll in the state and in Puducherry after expiry of the licence period.
Justices V Ramasubramanian and N.Kirubakaran sought the replies of the Centre and Highways and Transport Departments in the state within three weeks.
Petitioner Saravanan also sought an interim injunction on annual revision of the toll fee for the National Highway in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry till the probe about 'illegal collection' was completed.
Saravanan submitted there was a vast difference between the auction amount and actual money got by concessinaries in in toll plazas. The conessionaires did not undertake various works, including planting of trees as per rules. The stretches for toll collection in Tamil Nadu differed from other states.
The toll mentioned in the website for a particular stretch and actual toll collection differed. There was no transparency over the "Period of auction" for toll collection for a particular stretch, he submitted.
He submitted that the number of accidents on the highway was increasing each year due to various factors, including overloading of vehicles. The premium paid by the common man had increased by 100 per cent as accident claims had increased.
He wanted Tamil Nadu government to strictly implement the Motor vehicles Act and prevent overloading of buses and lorries. Officials should take coercive action against those who violated the Act as violations led to accidents, he said.
An IPS officer in the rank of ADGP should be asked to inspect toll plazas to take an account of overloaded vehicles passing through and submit a report.
The petitioner suggested that all 19 checkposts in Tamil Nadu and 42 toll plazas be linked with Regional Transport offices, Police, Commercial tax office. Biometric cards should be given to vehicle owners and cash transactions should be competely avoided. Each toll plaza should be provided with weighing machine and drivers given facilities, including rest room and parking spot so that there were no accidents.
He said the cost of road laying had been recovered in many states but not in Tamil Nadu, the reasons for which were not known.
