MTHL’s toll per km lower than other infrastructure projects

While MTHL has managed to draw crowds, its Rs 250 toll is criticised, with many calling it exorbitant

By: Express News Service Written by Sweety Adimulam

Mumbai | Updated: January 23, 2024 04:23 PM IST

3 min read

A 40-year-old manager of the State Bank of India allegedly jumped off from the Atal Setu, part of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, into the sea early on Monday. The Sewri police said that a search operation is being conducted to locate the manager and other agencies have also been roped in for help. (PTI Photo)

In the first two days of its operations, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link is said to have drawn close to 80,000 vehicles. While the MTHL has managed to draw crowds, its toll of Rs 250 has been criticised, with many calling it exorbitant. However when it comes to the various new roads and sea links that have been constructed by the state government over the last few years, the per km toll charges levied on the MTHL are substantially lower than other big ticket infrastructure projects like the Samruddhi Mahamarg Corridor and the Bandra Worli Sea link.

Agencies arrive at user rates or tolls for infrastructure projects based on rules under the National Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules, 2008. They lay down how the base rate to charge tolls is to be calculated. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority used these rules to arrive at a base rate of Rs 1.13 per km.

These rules also state that the fee rate to use a structure that is more than 60 metres long and forms a part of a linear highway/expressway will be calculated by converting the length of the structure into an equivalent of highway by multiplying this figure by a factor of ten.

Also Read | Over 5,000 worked every day on MTHL, seven lost their lives to make the project a reality

The MTHL is a 21.8 km long stretch. Using the rules laid down by the state, the toll was calculated by multiplying the 21.8 km length by 10. The 210.8 km length was then deemed to be the total length of the project which was then multiplied by Rs 1.13 per km to arrive at the final toll which as per the calculation was Rs 246.34 and rounded off to Rs 250.

Interestingly the MMRDA had previously proposed a base rate of Rs 1.58 per km which would have led to the toll being Rs 350 per km. It has decided to now keep Rs 1.13 as the base rate for the entire year.

Interestingly the base rates of other sea links like the Bandra Worli Sea link is substantially higher at Rs 2.31 per km. Similarly, for other expressways, including the Samruddhi Mahamarg, the base rate is Rs 1.73 per km while for the Mumbai Pune Expressway it is Rs 3.32 per km.

Officials said the tolls on these projects are necessary to ensure the construction and maintenance of world class infrastructure projects.

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