The Supreme Court has upheld a Kerala High Court order suspending toll collection on the Mannuthy–Edappally stretch of NH-544, ruling that toll can only be justified when citizens are provided with safe and motorable roads.

The case, National Highways Authority of India & Anr v. OJ Janeesh & Ors, stemmed from a public interest litigation (PIL) in which the High Court on August 6, 2025, halted toll collection by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and its concessionaire.

The court observed that failure to provide safe and regulated highways breaches the principle of public trust, which governs the relationship between citizens and state agencies.

The judgment noted that citizens cannot be compelled to pay tolls merely because of a private concession agreement if the promised

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