Mumbai-Pune Expressway toll to continue till April 2030

The Maharashtra government has filed an affidavit in the Bombay High Court stating that it would not close toll collection or exempt light motor vehicles from payment of toll on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway till April 30, 2030.

The affidavit was filed during the hearing of a Public Interest litigation filed by activisit Pravin Wategaonkar. The affidavit states that after considering the Summit Mullick Committee report and also checking the availability of financial resources with the government, it will not be feasible to close the toll completely.

It further reads that the contractor Mhaiskar Infrastructure Private Limited has not committed any violation or breach of contract. The Court had earlier directed the state government to take a decision within six weeks on the recommendations of a state-appointed committee on the issue of toll being charged on the Expressway.

The recommendations of the Sumit Mullick Committee report had recommended rationalisation of toll. This was not specifically for Mumbai-Pune Expressway but for many other highways built on a transfer basis, across the state.

The MSRDC and PWD department are told to submit their survey reports about toll collected till now and the number of vehicles that pass on the Expressway, to help take the decision. The petition seeks that the right of the contractor, Mhaiskar Infrastructure Private Limited, to collect toll on the Expressway be revoked.