HC issues notice to Centre

The Madras High Court today issued notice to the Union Surface Transport Secretary on a PIL filed by a former MLA challenging the constitutional validity of Rule 3 of the National Highways (determination of rate and collection) Rules, 2008.
The rule does not exempt four-wheelers from paying toll even if the vehicles happened to use newly-laid four-lane highways for a short distance to reach other connecting roads, the petitioner Venkatramana said.
A division bench of the Court's Madurai bench, comprising Justice V.Ramasubramanian and Justice Kirubakaran, sought the central government's reply by December 1.
The petitioner sought a direction to the Competition Commission, established under the Competition Act to prevent practices having adverse effect on competition and to protect the interests of consumers, in New Delhi to inquire into the "abuse of dominant position by National Highways Authority of India in collecting toll at sections of highways where there is no alternative road or service road to go to town within 10 km of a toll plaza."

He also sought relocation of a toll plaza at Kappalur near here as even vehicle-owners who use National Highway 7 only for a very short distance to go from Madurai to Tirumangalam are forced to pay the toll.