Ganesh festival: Shinde announces toll exemption for vehicles ferrying devotees

Ahead of the Ganesh festival 2025 Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde on Thursday said that the vehicles of Ganesh devotees going to Konkan and state transport buses ferrying them will be exempted from toll reported the PTIThe exemption will be from August 23 to September 8 for MumbaiBengaluru National Highway MumbaiGoa National Highway and roads under the Public Works Department and Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation MSRDCA special pass with toll exemption under Ganeshotsav 2025 will be given bearing the details of vehicle number and its owner as per the PTIThese passes will be available with concerned regional transport authority offices police department and will also be applicable for return journey a statement saidCity and rural police and RTOs able been asked to coordinate to provide timely passes to the devoteesLakhs of devotees go to their hometown in Konkan to celebrate the annual Ganesh festival which falls in the Bhadrapad monthThe decision will benefit lakhs of devotees Eknath Shinde saidHeavy vehicles banned on MumbaiGoa Highway on different days during Ganesh festivalMeanwhile heavy vehicles will be prohibited from plying on the MumbaiGoa National Highway in run up and during the most days of the 10day Ganesh festival beginning on August 27 for convenience of motorists said a senior Maharashtra government official on Wednesday according to the PTIThe nearly 500kmlong NH66 which passes through the coastal Konkan region sees a heavy rush of Lord Ganesh devotees during and immediately after the festivalJoint secretary in the transport department Rajendra Holkar informed that vehicles weighing 16 tonnes or more will be banned from plying on the busy highway during the Ganesh festival in the interest of public convenience reported the PTIIn an official statement Holkar stated that the ban which will not apply to vehicles carrying essential commodities has been imposed under provisions of Section 155 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 The restriction will apply to trucks multiaxle vehicles trailers lorries and other heavy vehicles from midnight of August 23 to 11 pm on August 28 as per the PTIFurther curbs will be enforced on August 31 and September 2 from 8 am to 11 pm to facilitate the immersion of Lord Ganesh idols of five and seven days Gauri Ganpati idols and the return journeys of devotees said the statementFor the immersion of 11day idols on Anant Chaturdashi the ban will be in place from 8 am on September 6 until 8 pm on September 7According to Holkar during the intervening periods heavy vehicles will be permitted to ply on the highwayThese include from 11 pm of August 28 to 8 am of August 31 from 11 pm of August 31 to 8 am of September 2 and from 11 pm of September 2 to 8 am of September 6 Normal traffic movement for all vehicles will resume after 8 pm on September 7Holkar clarified restrictions will not apply to vehicles transporting importexport goods between Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority JNPA in Navi Mumbai and Jaigad Port Ratnagiri district or those carrying essential commodities such as milk petrol diesel LPG cylinders medicines liquid medical oxygen food grains vegetables and perishable itemsVehicles engaged in road widening and repair works on the highway will also be exempted he statedHe stated that the transport authorities and highway police will issue entry passes for vehicles engaged in exempted serviceswith PTI inputs