Keeping an eye on the state assembly polls, the Maharashtra cabinet took the decision of a full toll waiver for light motor vehicles at all five toll booths entering Mumbai. This decision was taken in the final cabinet meeting just a day before the elections were announced. Commuters are now travelling with small vehicles without paying tolls at Dahisar, Mulund, Vashi, Airoli, and Tin hat Naka. The toll charge was Rs 45. While announcing this decision the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “There was a demand for the toll waiver due to the traffic jams at the toll booths. The toll waiver move will now save time, fuel and reduce pollution. It was a long pending demand to waive toll at Mumbai’s entry points. Many activists had approached the court demanding the toll waiver. Just like we implemented Laadki Bahin, Laadka Bhau and Laadka Kisan yojana, now the government has taken this “masterstroke” decision for the commuters”. Nevertheless, it was a relief for the commuters as they can now avoid a long queue at the toll nakas.
Significantly, this much discussed move of the state government came just ahead of the state assembly polls. More than six lakh vehicles cross Mumbai daily, of which 80 per cent are light motor vehicles. Rs 45 and Rs 75 were charged for light motor vehicles at any of the five toll booths. There are around 70,000 heavy vehicles travelling to and from Mumbai daily. Heavy vehicles are categorised by their gross vehicle weight exceeding 7,500 kg and include trucks, trailers, tankers and other goods carriers’ vehicles. The toll waiver is among the more than 150 decisions taken in a spate of state cabinet meetings within the span of a fortnight. Due to which the government’s intention behind this decision is underscored.
As per the expectation strong political reaction came to the fore after the announcement. The MNS chief Raj Thackeray, whose party workers have on many occasions vandalised toll booths, welcomed the Maharashtra government’s decision to waive the toll for light motor vehicles. “Congratulations to my Maharashtra soldiers. We fought hard for the demand for transparency in toll transactions. We were criticised for vandalising the toll booths but now every Mumbaikar can travel toll-free,” he had stated. He even hoped that the decision was not taken keeping in mind the upcoming assembly polls. The leaders of the opposition parties criticised the government’s decision saying it’s a poll gimmick.
The construction of these toll booths was initiated in 1999 to recover the costs of 55 flyovers built by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation under the leadership of then Minister Nitin Gadkari. The toll collection began in 2002, with activists arguing that the maintenance costs and initial investments were recovered over a decade ago. Despite this, the Maharashtra government extended the toll tax recovery period for three more years until 2027, anticipating revenue of approximately Rs 11,000 crore. The toll waiver will certainly benefit around 2.8 lakh light motor vehicles daily.
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