Entering Mumbai is now Permanently Toll-Free; Read Here

In the latest cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde, announced that all light motor vehicles (LMVs) entering Mumbai via selected entry points will be exempted from paying tolls for good. This exemption policy starts from today (15th October 2024). 

Overview

Those travelling to Mumbai by road should note these five entry points from motorists are exempted from paying toll tax. 

Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) entering the “City of Dreams” from Vashi, LBS Road at Mulund (West), Dahisar, Eastern Express Highway Mulund (East), and Airoli Creek Bridge will be exempted from paying toll tax. This initiative will not only help consumers (monetarily) but will also slash long-queued traffic jams, which are often witnessed at the toll plazas. 

Several sources indicate that this toll waiver at the aforementioned entry points for Mumbai will have a permanent implementation. It is also worth mentioning that the waived toll amount for motorists will be taken care of by the state, which will be paid to the contractors. 

Maharashtra CM, Eknath Shinde, stated “It was a long pending demand to waive toll tax at Mumbai’s entry points”. This “masterstroke” move by the state government would save on time and fuel, plus it will reduce pollution, he added. 

Before this new initiative, the toll booths at the mentioned five entry points collected either Rs 45 or Rs 75, depending on the vehicle type. For the record, there are around 2.8 lakh light motor vehicles that cross these tolls every day. 

To reduce the traffic at toll plazas, the government initially introduced FASTags, which increased the convenience across Maharashtra but toll booths at Vashi, Thane, and Dahisar didn’t see any benefit from FASTag either. However, the satellite-based toll collection system by the Government of India may improve the whole process in the future.