Big Move In Poll-Bound Maharashtra: No Toll For Cars, SUVs Entering Mumbai From Tonight

Assembly elections in the state are due this year. The decision will benefit daily commuters entering Mumbai in smaller vehicles.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday announced full toll exemption for light motor vehicles at all five toll booths entering Mumbai. The decision, which comes ahead of the assembly elections in the state, was taken at the final cabinet meeting of the outgoing state Assembly. The implementation of the order will begin at 12 am tonight.

Commuters had to pay a toll fee of Rs 45 at these points. Now, no toll will be collected from these vehicles at Dahisar, Mulund West (LBS Road), Vashi, Airoli and Mulund East toll booths. The decision is expected to benefit daily commuters entering the city in smaller vehicles.

CM Shinde termed the move a "masterstroke". "At the Mumbai entry point, people from all over Maharashtra come, there used to be traffic jams, people were demanding for exemption and also went to the court, I have come up with a solution, our Mahayuti government has given relief to light motor vehicles by exemption at toll gates. Definitely, their time will be saved, pollution will be reduced, traffic will be reduced, and fuel will be saved. It is a historic decision and a masterstroke," Shinde told reporters.

Shinde had announced a toll waiver for some routes in the state during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in the first half of September.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray congratulated the people and took a dig at the government for the "late" implementation of the decision.

"Congratulations to all the citizens living within the MMR area and a big congratulations to my Maharashtra Sainiks. They fought hard for the demands that there be transparency in toll transactions and that if the road works are paid for through the money collected, they should be toll-free," he wrote in a post on X.

He added, "We were criticised for vandalising the toll booths, but whatever the government mechanism, they don’t acknowledge the seriousness of an issue unless extreme steps are taken. Anyway... at least Mumbaikars got toll-free and our struggle bore fruit. It is a matter of happiness that our agitation was quite successful. I would want to congratulate the state government for this, but they should assure the people that this is not a decision taken just for the election."

The Election Commission Of India has not announced the dates for the Maharashtra Assembly elections.