Estimated vehicle count on Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link dropped by 70 per cent, says RTI activist

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While the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL) - also known as Atul Setu - has cut down the travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, the reply to a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act revealed that the number of vehicles plying by the bridge is less compared to what was projected. RTI Activist Jitendra Ghadge has claimed that the bridge fell short of its expected daily traffic capacity of 89,463 vehicles, projected in 2021, with only an average of 24,000 vehicles using the structure in August, which is a 70 per cent decline from the expected capacity.

According to Ghagde, the data about the vehicle count on MTHL indicated a significant 700% increase in the traffic of heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses from January to August. However, these vehicles account for only about 7% of the total traffic, while around 93% consists of passenger cars. Notably, the number of cars using the bridge increased by only 31% during the same period.

"This disappointing statistic is primarily attributed to the high toll rates and the inadequate connectivity of the Atal Setu to major roads such as the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Daily commuters from Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai find the ₹375-toll unaffordable, forcing many middle-class travelers to use older routes. As a result, the bridge primarily benefits wealthy drivers, while citizens relying on private cab services face difficulties owing to high toll fees," said Ghadge.

He further told mid-day that in terms of the toll collection, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) reported an 80% increase between January and August. The total collections rose from ₹8,68,13,300 in January to ₹15,76,40,560 by August. Despite this revenue increase, the authority is still far behind its target of 70,000 vehicles per day, stated Ghadge, who runs 'The Young Whistleblower Foundation'.

"The government should reduce the toll fee for private cars by 40% and waive the amount for taxis and private cab services to ensure that ordinary citizens can benefit from the bridge or else, it will only serve the wealthy and those operating commercial heavy vehicles," said Ghadge.