Small vehicles get exemption at Mumbai toll plazas

The Maharashtra government on Monday announced a complete toll waiver for light motor vehicles at all five entry points into Mumbai effective from midnight tonight The decision of exempting small vehicles of toll charges at Mumbai toll plazas was made during todayrsquos State Cabinet meetingThe toll plazas are Vashi on the SionPanvel Highway Mulund on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg and Eastern Express Highway Airoli Bridge on AiroliMulund Road and Dahisar on the Western Express HighwayMaharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the decision of exempting small vehicles of toll charges at Mumbai toll plazas duringthe state cabinet meeting in MumbaiFollowing the Cabinet meeting Maharashtra minister Dada Bhuse said There are five toll plazas at Mumbairsquos entry points including Dahisar Anand Nagar Vashi Airoli and Mulund Tolls of Rs 45 and Rs 75 were being collected at these plazas with the toll system set to remain in effect until 2026 Approximately 35 lakh vehicles commute through these tolls daily of which 70000 are heavy vehicles and 280 lakh are light vehicles Today the government has decided to exempt light vehicles from paying tolls starting after midnight This will also save the time spent waiting in queues The government had been discussing this matter for several months and today this significant decision has been madeAfter the announcement of the toll waiver Shiv Sena UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised the state government suggesting the decision was a last effort to avoid an impending defeatDesperate measure just hours before election code of conduct shows that Mahajhoothi government knows their days are numbered so try and salvage whatever little they can to save themselves from the publicrsquos wrath Also because it has been under severe fire for the absolute and total collapse of law and order Just like Ladki behen came at the back of a defeat this toll decision comes at the back of an impending defeat she said in a post on XDesperate measure just hours before election code of conduct shows that Mahajhoothi government knows their days are numbered so try and salvage whatever little they can to save themselves from the publicrsquos wrath Also because it has been under severe fire for the absolute andhellipmdash Priyanka Chaturvedi priyankac19 October 14 2024Meanwhile Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS chief Raj Thackeray said Light vehicles will be exempt from tolls at all five toll booths entering Mumbai starting midnight Congratulations to all the citizens of the MMR area and a big salute to my Maharashtra Sainiks My Sainiks fought relentlessly for transparency in toll collections demanding that roads funded through tolls should be tollfree We faced criticism for vandalising toll booths but often extreme steps are the only way to make the government take notice That said its a moment of happiness for Mumbaikars who are finally tollfree and our movement has seen success I congratulate the state government but they must assure the people that this isnt just an electiondriven decisionMumbai may be tollfree today but countless people have suffered in this toll system over the years A fair investigation is necessary but theres little certainty it will happen given the complexities of who holds whom accountable Still its a relief that Mumbaikars are freed from this burden To my Maharashtra Sainiksmdashif anyone ever asks about the outcome of the toll agitation proudly point to this victory of making Mumbai tollfree Once again congratulations to everyone he added hellipmdash Raj Thackeray RajThackeray October 14 2024The Maharashtra cabinet also expressed shock over the killing of former state minister Baba Siddique and adopted a condolence resolution to this effect