Vehicles coming into Mumbai will now not must pay any toll, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde introduced as we speak. The transfer, which comes into impact from midnight tonight, immediately sparked an outcry from the opposition, which known as the toll waiver an election sop that may add to the site visitors nightmare in India’s monetary capital.
Eknath Shinde stated all mild motor autos can be exempt from any toll tax on the 5 toll cubicles for entry into Mumbai. The transfer, weeks earlier than the Maharashtra election, was introduced on the cupboard assembly of the state authorities in Mumbai.
“This transfer will save commuters’ time, and cut back air pollution and site visitors. This can be a historic determination,” Mr Shinde instructed reporters.
#WATCH | Maharashtra CM Ekanth Shinde says “On the Mumbai entry level, there was a site visitors jam on the toll plaza. This was the demand of the folks for the final a number of years. I’m additionally joyful that as we speak, throughout my tenure as CM, lakhs of sunshine motor autos have been… pic.twitter.com/7Zo0giUo5W
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2024
Maharashtra minister Dadaji Dagadu Bhuse stated that mild autos would enter freely from the tolls at Dahisar, Anand Nagar, Vaishali, Airoli and Mulund, which had been commissioned in 2002.
“Rs 45 to Rs 75 had been charged at these tolls and it was in impact until 2026. About 3.5 lakh autos, together with 2.80 lakh mild autos, used to journey up and down from these toll plazas,” he stated.
“The time that individuals used to spend in queues shall be saved. The federal government was discussing it for a lot of months and as we speak this revolutionary determination has been taken,” Mr Bhuse instructed reporters.
Chatting with EDNBOX, Naresh Mhaske, the Shiv Sena MP from Thane, stated this was a “lengthy pending” demand.
“Mumbaikars are joyful after this determination. I come from Thane district and I felt unhappy each time I paid toll fees. Now, with free motion, there shall be extra improvement in close by areas,” he stated.
The Opposition, nonetheless, stated the choice was taken when elections had been approaching.
“You can have stopped the toll earlier however you didn’t do it,” Anand Dubey, the spokesperson of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), stated.
He additionally questioned why heavy autos would proceed to pay tolls after they have already paid the costs for a number of years.
“The general public will educate you a lesson within the elections,” Mr Dubey stated.
In Maharashtra, primarily in Mumbai, many activists had been agitating for the waiver of tolls.