From April 1, travelling between Mumbai and Pune will become costlier as the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is increasing the toll by 18%, said an official.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is the first access-controlled road in the country, and the toll rates get hiked by 6% annually. So, the 18% increase is being implemented after three years.
According to the MSRDC notification, the toll rates will remain the same till 2030, and will not see any revision after three years in 2026.
The toll for four-wheelers such as cars and jeeps will be Rs 320 instead of Rs 270, those in the mini buses and tempos will have to fork out Rs 495 as against Rs 420. The new toll rate for two-axle trucks will be Rs 685 instead of the Rs 585; buses will pay Rs 940; three-axle trucks need to shell out Rs 1,630 instead of Rs 1,380 and for multi-axle trucks and other machinery, the new toll is Rs 2,165 as against Rs 1,835.
The 95-km-long six-lane Mumbai-Pune Expressway was fully operational in 2002, and there are five toll plazas among which Khalapur and Talegaon are the main.
According to the data, around 1.5 lakh vehicles use the Mumbai-Pune Expressway daily. The increase in the toll will also affect the private bus transportation between the two cities as the cost of the travel will also go up significantly. The hike may also see an impact on the prices of vegetables, grains and milk in Mumbai city as most of the items arrive through the expressway from Pune and Kolhapur districts.
Meanwhile, the Pune District Luxury Bus Association is also considering increasing the fare due to the new toll costs, which will have an impact on their daily business expenditure.
“We would decide on the fare increase soon. If the toll increases, our operational costs also go up significantly. In the market, we have competition from the MSRTC’s buses on the Mumbai-Pune route. We will have to have competitive rates to remain in the market. Our committee will take a final decision soon,” said Balasaheb Khedekar, president of Pune District Luxury Bus Association.
Sachin Bedekar, who works in a digital marketing company, travels to Pune from Mumbai frequently for client meetings. He said the increase in toll will “certainly” affect his weekly budget. “I have clients in Pune so I have to travel to the city at least three times a week. I used my car as it is convenient to reach at the client’s office. But the new toll price will have a direct impact on my travel budget. From the new financial year, I will have to re-adjust a few things and cut down on other expenses to pay the new travel cost. Though they are increasing the toll cost of e-way, they should also see how they can reduce the long queue of vehicles at these toll plazas,” Bedekar added.
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