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 hurdle.

The toll landscape:

Mumbai's extensive road network includes several critical toll collection points, such as the Bandra-Worli 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 citizens.

Challenges faced:

Traffic congestion: Dharshan Vanarse, a Girgaon resident, who travels to Bhayandar for work, said long queues and traffic congestion at toll plazas are frustrating. "One 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 delays," he said.

Economic burden: Not just traffic or long queues, but paying money at these toll plazas also has a financial burden. "The 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 charges," Darshan Vanarse said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Piya Sametkar, a working professional, said she spends 20-30 minutes every day, waiting in her car at the toll plaza to exit Mumbai so that she can reach her office in Thane. "Like 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 is," she shared.

There are five entry and exit points for vehicular traffic in Mumbai, Dahisar (Western Express Highway), Vashi (Sion-Panvel Highway), Mulund East (Eastern Express Highway), Airoli (Mulund-Airoli Bridge), and Mulund West (LBS Marg).

"With 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 hours," Sametkar added.

Sharing her despair she explained, "Apart 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 inevitable."

She 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 open," Sametkar said.

Operational inefficiencies:

The 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 toll-related problems," a commuter said.

Lack 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 public's trust and support.

Voices of the politicians

While talking about toll issues, Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad said, "This is a never-ending 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 doesn't reflect on Mumbai's roads. Even with huge tolls, the condition of the roads is terrible. All the toll nakas should be closed down."

"Dahisar, 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 added.

When 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 Bandra-Worli 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 people's lives are made better should be the whole point."

Gaikwad 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 vis-a-vis the road conditions. What is going to change in the next 3-4 years that will improve the road infrastructure? The government should provide a clear answer without mincing words," she added.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Secretary and Spokesperson Manisha Kayande agreed that the toll plazas lead to traffic snarls and are time-consuming. "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 GPS-based toll collection systems to replace existing highway toll plazas, which is a good way to end traffic snarls at toll plazas," she said.

"See people want good roads, and for better infrastructure the government needs money. I don't 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 said.

The conclusion:

The toll issue in Mumbai is an onerous and multi-layered 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 decision-making, Mumbai can pave the way for a more efficient and equitable toll system that benefits both the city's growth and its residents' well-being.