While smaller vehicles and state transport buses have been exempted from paying toll at 53 nakas and 12 toll projects have been closed down, political parties and activists are crying foul at the state government dragging its feet on relief to motorists on major projects like the Mumbai entry points and the Mumbai-Pune expressway.
While smaller vehicles and state transport buses have been exempted from paying toll at 53 nakas and 12 toll projects have been closed down, political parties and activists are crying foul at the state government dragging its feet on relief to motorists on major projects like the Mumbai entry points and the Mumbai-Pune expressway.
"There has been no decision on the Mumbai Entry Points and the Mumbai-Pune expressway. The people are being shortchanged... these tolls must be scrapped, why is a different set of rules being applied?" questioned anti-toll activist Sanjay Shirodkar, adding that these projects far outstripped others in terms of turnover.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has bid out collection of toll at the five entry points to Mumbai, namely, Vashi, Dahisar, Mulund, Airoli and LBS Marg, while toll is also collected on the signature Mumbai-Pune expressway and the old highway.
The state government has claimed that substantial numbers of private cars which use these roads make it tough for them to announce the waiver and compensate the toll contractors in return. However, it has indicated that an exemption may come into force from August 1 onwards.
"They are only telling the people that (12) tolls have been shut down, but are not saying about how old the project was and the amount recovered by the contractor," charged Shirodkar, alleging that contractors made windfall gains. "There is no transparency, the figures are not in public domain as the transactions are in cash," said Shirodkar, alleging that commuters were not given two-way toll tickets at the Mumbai entry points.
"The Mumbai entry points, Mumbai-Pune expressway and the Kolhapur tolls generate huge revenues. Compared to these, the other tolls (where exemptions have been granted) are smaller ones. This is not a historic decision as is being claimed," charged MNS general secretary Avinash Abhyankar, warning of an agitation by the party if the need arose.
"It is like these three projects outweigh the other toll projects in Maharashtra (due to their size and traffic)... why should we take care of these white elephants?" questioned Abhyankar. "The three projects are with one contractor," he pointed out, adding that while the state's move was a "good beginning," it was not a historic decision as was claimed.
"There is politics behind this. This is giving out a stink. Actually, large projects must be closed down first," said Abhyankar, claiming that the contractors had made windfall gains in these projects. He questioned the return on investment for the contractors in these projects and dared the government to make the details public and pointed to the lack of transparency in these contracts.
Abhyankar said smaller vehicles and state transport buses were only being exempted from payment of toll at 53 toll stations and hence, it was wrong to call this "toll mukti" (freedom from payment of toll). He pointed to the "crores of litres of petrol and diesel which was being wasted" while vehicles idled at these toll nakas.
The issue of non-transparency in toll contracts shot into public consciousness after the Raj Thackeray-led MNS agitated on the issue in 2012.
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