The National HighwayNH47-The burden of Toll

Travelling from Alapuzha to Thrissur/Guruvayur costs more than Rs100/- by bus. The rates by Train are much cheaper.But the availability of trains&frequency thereon do not help the travelling Public much. If one decides to use a motor vehicle of his own to cover the distance according to their need to cope up with the timings of the Guruvayur Temple& the worshipping system prevailing there ,he is in for a big surprise.This is because one will have to face the Demon called Toll Fee.You take any route ,you will have to pay Exhorbitant rates of Toll fee. If you are taking the Mannuthy -Edappaly stretch of the highway on the reverse side , this Demon will not spare you. Toll fee has become a matter of pinching the pockets of travellers too much just because of Toll fee. Those who visit the guruvayur Temple, one of the most famous Shrines in India,it is with the basic intention of deriving peace&happiness.Many visit this Shrine to perform marriage of dear&dear and also to perform yet another noble prayer called "Annaprasam" of Kids. But when the demon of Toll falls upon you on the way ,the entire peace&happiness sought for in mind vanishes like mist in the sun. There are a few even forced to decide either the postponement of the Noble Functions concerned withGod Almighty &return cursing the demon. To illustate a typical example of the Exhorbitant rates prevailing &their increasing trend every now&then is the PALIAKKARA BRIDGE in the Thrissur-Edappally stretch of the NH47. There had been a regular agitation going against it by the people of Thrissur&sorrounds besides regular travellers using the stretch. All of a sudden ,it appears that a decision has been arrived at by the the management of impossing tollto increase the rates further with a view to coping up with their likely profit ignoring the hue&cry from Public prevailing since a long time. It also appears that the Government had assured the Agitators against the increase futher. But it appears that everything falls in deaf ears of the management. The current rates itself are beyond the limit of bearing by the Public .This being , so, urgent need for interference from the Authorities would appear to be absolutely necessary in order to discourage the management &also to reduce the prevailing rates instead of increasing it No serious thought appears to have been applied to the issue taking into consideration the Prons& corns of it either by the management or the Authorities empowered to exercise control over the issue SreedharanMundanat 15th March 2013 08-20Hrs(IST)