Madras High Court Considers Revising Order on TNSTC Bus Restrictions at South Tamil Nadu Toll Plazas

Quick Summary:

• Event: On July 8, 2025, the Madras High Court ordered four NHAI concessionaires to prevent Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses from crossing toll plazas across southern districts due to unpaid toll arrears of ₹276 crore.
• response: TNSTC approached the court with a modification plea,which Justice N. Anand Venkatesh agreed to hear on thursday morning (July 10, 2025).
• Government Assurances: Additional Advocate General J. Ravindran assured the court that efforts would be made to resolve the issue and settle arrears accumulated over years.
• Court Directive: Police forces were instructed to monitor four specified toll plazas-Kappalur, Etturavattam, Salaipudur, and Nanguneri-to prevent potential incidents after TNSTC buses were barred from crossing.
• Reason for Action: The judge stated that penalties and interest caused arrear amounts to escalate and indicated that drastic measures were necessary for negotiations with TNSTC’s transport department.
• Petitioners: The writ petitions included private entities managing tollways in several southern locations alleging non-payment of tolls by TNSTC buses.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

This dispute highlights severe administrative lapses in settling government dues over time. With ₹276 crore owed in unpaid toll charges plus penalties levied through years of delays, systemic inefficiencies seem evident within Tamil Nadu’s transport management frameworks. While barring public transportation like TNSTC buses might inconvenience daily commuters reliant on affordable travel options, the move underscores accountability concerns beyond vehicles merely avoiding Fastag compliance.

The court’s insistence on enforcing stringent steps-like deploying police at key infrastructure points-is a symbolic push toward rectifying financial irregularities with greater urgency. However, this case also brings attention to broader issues such as fiscal discipline among state-run enterprises and thier collaboration with private concessionaires operating critical transport infrastructure.

Resolving this matter swiftly aligns not just with judicial directives but also safeguards public access without prolonged disruptions or damage to inter-agency trust essential for seamless governance.

Read more

!image used for representational purposes
Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan