Beyond numbers, get real on roads

In a welcome citizen-centric ruling this week, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and concessionaire Guruvayoor Infrastructure challenging the Kerala High Court's Aug 6 interim order suspending toll collection at the Paliyekkara plaza in Thrissur on NH-544. The court cited the road's poor condition, emphasising the human cost: commuters taking nearly 11 hrs to cross a stretch that should take an hour. Citizens must be free to move on roads for which 'they have already paid taxes, without further payment to navigate gutters and potholes - symbols of inefficiency', the court said. But the problem extends far beyond road conditions.

Poorly maintained highways waste time and fuel, disrupt logistics, and strain forex reserves. As the court noted, these roads - built on BOT (build-operate-transfer) contracts to recover costs from users - starkly reflect a free market that has lost its way. India has been adding tolled highways at record speed. Toll revenue has surged accordingly, crossing ₹54,820 cr by Feb 2025, just shy of preceding year's ₹55,882 cr. Total revenue for FY26 is projected to approach ₹60k cr. Yet, funds collected must deliver commensurate benefits. GoI and NHAI cannot simply treat toll collection as revenue generation. Commuters pay for efficiency, safety and reliability. These funds must be deployed to build and maintain high-quality highways, ensuring tolls translate into tangible improvements literally on the ground.

This judgment is a reminder that infrastructure is not just about numbers on a balance sheet. It is about citizens' time, safety and dignity. Roads are public arteries. Any failure to maintain them undermines public trust and economic efficiency, viksit or otherwise.