CM Shinde announces free rides for light vehicles at major Mumbai entry stands

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced a complete exemption from tolls for light vehicles at all five toll booths leading to Mumbai.

This decision was taken during the last cabinet meeting of the Maharashtra government before the Assembly elections.

The exemption, which will come into effect from midnight on October 14, 2024, will apply to vehicles such as cars, jeeps, vans and small trucks.

It will cover Dahisar, Anand Nagar, Vaishali, Airoli and Mulund toll booths. These toll booths are central to Mumbai’s road network, moving thousands of vehicles every day.

As a result, commuters using the Dahisar, LBS Road-Mulund, Eastern Express Highway-Mulund, Airoli Creek Bridge and Vaishali toll gates will no longer have to pay fees, offering significant relief to daily commuters.

However, the Atal Setu toll is excluded from this exemption.

Following the decision to waive tolls at these five locations, the state government will need to compensate the contractors with nearly Rs 5,000 crore, as per reports.

Of the five tolls, four expire in 2027, while one expires in 2029.

This exemption from tolls has been a long-standing demand of several political parties, including the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and leaders of both factions of the Shiv Sena.