Maharashtra govt frees LMVs from toll at Mumbai's main entry points

The Maharashtra government has decided to exempt light motor vehicles (LMVs) from payment of toll at Mumbai's main entry points, from midnight today (Monday), giving a big relief to commuters from this perpetual pain.

Accordingly, toll booths at Dahisar, Mulund, Vashi, Airoli, and Tinhath Naka will not be collecting toll from LMVs, including cars as also taxis and auto rikshaws, beginning midnight of 14 October 2024.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde said on Monday that light motor vehicles will no longer have to pay toll at any of the above five toll booths.

The decision was taken at the final meeting of the Maharashtra cabinet before the upcoming elections to the state assembly.

This will benefit daily commuters who have to enter or go our of Mumbai for or after work. Many of them depend on cars and taxis or auto rikshaws for their daily travel.

Toll collection in the state, like any other state lacked transparency as toll booths continue to claim they are far from recovering their investment even after decades of toll collection, as in the case of the Vashi toll booth that existed for well over 40 years.

Political parties like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have been fighting for the removal of these perennial toll booths for long.

The state government also decided to rename the Maharashtra State Skills Development University as `Ratan Tata Maharashtra State Skills Development University,’ in honour of the departed soul