Navigating the toll conundrum in Mumbai: A tale of challenges

Mumbai the bustling financial capital of India is not just a city of dreams but also a city of traffic snarls and toll booths The toll issue in Mumbai has been a longstanding concern and a part of infrastructure discourse among citizens policymakers and urban planners As the city strives to balance economic growth with the quality of life for its residents the toll problem has emerged as a significant hurdleThe toll landscapeMumbais extensive road network includes several critical toll collection points such as the BandraWorli Sea Link the Eastern and Western Express Highways and entry points into the city While tolls are essential for financing infrastructure projects ensuring road maintenance and managing traffic the current toll setup in Mumbai has sparked discontent among citizensChallenges facedTraffic congestion Dharshan Vanarse a Girgaon resident who travels to Bhayandar for work said long queues and traffic congestion at toll plazas are frustrating ldquoOne of the primary problems is these toll booths contribution to traffic congestion Long queues at toll plazas not only increase travel time but also contribute to air pollution Mumbaikars often find themselves stuck in snarls leading to frustration and delaysrdquo he saidEconomic burden Not just traffic or long queues but paying money at these toll plazas also has a financial burden ldquoThe financial pinch on regular commuters can be significant Daily commuters especially those residing in the suburbs and working in the city end up spending a considerable portion of their income on toll chargesrdquo Darshan Vanarse saidEchoing similar sentiments Piya Sametkar a working professional said she spends 2030 minutes every day waiting in her car at the toll plaza to exit Mumbai so that she can reach her office in Thane ldquoLike me there are lakhs of vehicles that exit and enter the island city of Mumbai daily I have to do it every day and I know how frustrating it isrdquo she sharedThere are five entry and exit points for vehicular traffic in Mumbai Dahisar Western Express Highway Vashi SionPanvel Highway Mulund East Eastern Express Highway Airoli MulundAiroli Bridge and Mulund West LBS MargldquoWith toll collection booths at all five points any vehicle that enters or leaves the city by road will have to pay toll when travelling either way There is no way that toll can be avoided This process of payment of toll results in long queues traffic jams throughout the day and more so during the peak morning and evening hoursrdquo Sametkar addedSharing her despair she explained ldquoApart from the time spent at these toll booths which drains our minds and bodies of all energy there is the unnecessary burning of a huge amount of fuel daily which drains our vehicles as well FASTag has been introduced to make toll collection quicker Even then the traffic jams at toll plazas are inevitablerdquoShe also highlighted that there are no basic amenities like toilets near most of these toll plazas The toll plazas are minting money from commuters There are no facilities and basic amenities The government on one side is focusing on Swacch Abhiyan but the people are forced to defecate in the openrdquo Sametkar saidOperational inefficienciesThe toll collection process however is not immune to inefficiencies Mumbaikars have highlighted instances of toll booth malfunctions long waiting times and manual errors in toll collection Such operational glitches further exacerbate the tollrelated problems a commuter saidLack of transparency There have been allegations of a lack of transparency in toll collection with citizens expressing concerns about the utilization of toll revenues A transparent and accountable system is essential to gain the publics trust and supportVoices of the politiciansWhile talking about toll issues Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad said This is a neverending issue for Mumbaikars When Prithviraj Chavan was the Chief Minister back in 2014 the BJP demanded that toll booths should be stopped After that a while back Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told publicly that the government does not collect tolls from people which is a blatant lie The government should also tell us that if so much money is being taken from the people where does it go It certainly doesnt reflect on Mumbais roads Even with huge tolls the condition of the roads is terrible All the toll nakas should be closed downDahisar Mulund Vashi Airoli all the toll booths are very crowded There is a rule that if the traffic goes behind the yellow line no toll shall be collected But even after the line reaches well behind this line the toll collection continues Moreover the toll booth staff are extremely rude to commuters In short there is a lack of management at every toll booth Every Mumbaikar has experienced these issues she addedWhen asked about a solution to end the toll problem she said Toll booths at Dahisar Mulund Vashi and Airoli should be closed down Not just that tolls should stop even on the Rajiv Gandhi BandraWorli Sea Link Supposedly there is a separate route for FASTag But even here cash is accepted and the toll is collected Toll booths are nothing but a big breeding ground for corruption There should not just be the development of roads but maintenance of them as well Just making them does not signify development and progress Keeping them intact and ensuring peoples lives are made better should be the whole pointGaikwad has urged the government to find a solution for the toll issue soon All these toll booths should be closed Since 2002 the government has been taking tolls at the Mumbai entry point Even after 21 years of taking tolls the condition of roads continues to deteriorate A proper audit should be done of the toll nakas and their collections visavis the road conditions What is going to change in the next 34 years that will improve the road infrastructure The government should provide a clear answer without mincing words she addedMeanwhile Shiv Sena Secretary and Spokesperson Manisha Kayande agreed that the toll plazas lead to traffic snarls and are timeconsuming Union minister Nitin Gadkari has come up with a good solution to end these traffic snarls at toll plazas The government is planning to introduce new technologies including GPSbased toll collection systems to replace existing highway toll plazas which is a good way to end traffic snarls at toll plazas she saidSee people want good roads and for better infrastructure the government needs money I dont think tolls will end They will be there But people want good roads and infrastructure and that is what the government is trying to give them Kayande saidThe conclusionThe toll issue in Mumbai is an onerous and multilayered challenge that requires a collaborative approach Striking a balance between economic imperatives and citizens concerns is crucial for sustainable urban development By adopting technological solutions improving infrastructure enhancing transparency and involving the public in decisionmaking Mumbai can pave the way for a more efficient and equitable toll system that benefits both the citys growth and its residents wellbeing