Mumbai: Taxing time for commuters as toll booths resume work

Watch What Else Is Making News

While travelling to Pune on Saturday afternoon, Yesha Kotak — a Mumbai resident — waited almost an hour at the Vashi checkpoint. “However, it was a regular day on the side of Pune. Many cars were allowed to pass without paying toll if they did not have change. Even I did not have to pay today,” she said.

Almost all entry points of the city had massive traffic congestion. Anticipating similarly poor traffic movement at toll booths in the coming days, officials have made several arrangements, including increased police bandobast.

“Toll plazas saw heavy rush in the morning, but the situation normalised by evening. Also, installment of point-of-sale (PoS) machines at the booths by afternoon helped ease the change issues,” said Kiran Kurundkar, joint managing director at Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

Despite several attempts by the toll contractors and MSRDC to ensure smooth traffic on the highways, there were still some traffic hassles at the highways.

“Commuters who use the e-tag facility will not face an issue while passing through e-tag lanes at toll nakas. Also, we have ensured that there was enough supply of change and smart cards. However, there will still be minor hiccups until there is adequate cash supply in the system,” added Kurundkar.

Till December 15, toll operators are accepting demonetised Rs 500 notes from commuters, who are buying smart cards worth more than Rs 200.

After demonetisation, the government had announced a toll waiver up to November 11. It was then extended to 14, then November 18 and 24. It had then been extended to December 2.

On the losses incurred by toll operators due to the waiver, Kurundkar said, “They have lost on an average around Rs 4.5 crore everyday.”