Mumbai: In a significant move, the Maharashtra Government has announced a complete toll waiver for light motor vehicles entering Mumbai at all five toll booths, effective from midnight on October 14.
“There was a demand for the toll waiver due to the traffic jams at the toll booths,” Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told reporters after the state cabinet approved the decision during a meeting on Monday morning.
The initiative comes ahead of the upcoming state assembly polls, expected to be announced shortly, according to officials.
The toll waiver is anticipated to bring relief to commuters traveling in and out of Mumbai ahead of Diwali. Motorists will no longer need to pay tolls at the five booths—Dahisar, LBS Road-Mulund, Eastern Express Highway-Mulund, Airoli Creek Bridge, and Vashi.
Light motor vehicles include cars, jeeps, vans, auto-rickshaws, taxis, delivery vans, and small trucks. Officials noted that over six lakh vehicles cross Mumbai daily, with 80% being light motor vehicles.
Chief Minister Shinde highlighted that the toll waiver would 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,” he said.
“Just like we implemented Laadki Bahin, Laadka Bhau, and Laadka Kisan schemes, we’ve taken this ‘masterstroke’ decision for commuters,” he added.
Maharashtra’s Public Works (Public Enterprises) Minister Dada Bhuse mentioned that light motor vehicles were previously charged between ₹45 and ₹75 at each of the five toll booths.
He also noted that around 70,000 heavy vehicles travel to and from Mumbai daily. Heavy vehicles, categorized as those exceeding 7,500 kg in gross vehicle weight, include trucks, trailers, tankers, and other goods carriers.
The decision has drawn mixed reactions from political figures. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi labeled the toll waiver a “desperate measure” ahead of the state assembly elections. “Just like the Ladki Bahin Yojana came at the back of a defeat, this toll decision comes at the back of an impending defeat,” she posted on X.
On the other hand, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, whose party workers have previously vandalized toll booths, welcomed the move. “Congratulations to my ‘Maharashtra’ soldiers. We fought hard for transparency in toll transactions. We were criticized for vandalizing the toll booths, but now every Mumbaikar can travel toll-free,” he said, expressing hope that the decision was not solely influenced by the upcoming polls.
An official from the Chief Minister’s Office noted that the toll waiver is among more than 150 decisions taken during a series of state cabinet meetings over the past fortnight.
