Now, activate monthly toll pass online
MSRDC eliminates condition of mandatory visiting toll plaza within 72 hrs
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has removed the mandatory condition of visiting toll plazas for activation of monthly toll pass within 72 hours. Now entire process has been made digital, said Kamlakar Phand, Chief General Manager (tolls), MSRDC. From April 27, reportedly only FASTag users have been allowed to buy a monthly toll pass in a bid to encourage the use of FASTag by commuters and also to ensure that long queue at toll plazas causing traffic is prevented.
According to the MSRDC, after issuing toll passes in April to FASTag users at all five toll Plaza: Airoli, Vashi, Mulund, Dahisar and LBS Mulund a total of 15,184 passes were sold out till May end. The total amount collected was 2.10 crore. The monthly pass gives concession in toll rates to commuters, who are daily passing through the city toll nakas. As per the pre-decided rates, a single toll road user having FASTag will have to spend Rs 1,240 and for multiple toll roads Rs 1,500 for buying a monthly pass.
In fact in pre-Covid time there were over 25,000 pass holders in Mumbai across five toll plazas. However, due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation and travel restrictions the traffic is far less on road, but now since the state has again issued fresh unlock guidelines and when the situation comes to nor malcy the monthly pass numbers will increase, officials believe.
Commuter can buy monthly pass using two ways --first by visiting the www.nhai.org website or by logging in to the ICICIbankfastag site. ICICI has tied up the M/s MEP Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. Meanwhile, the MSRDC is converting all five city toll plazas into complete FASTag enabled lanes. The Bandra Worli Sealink has been already converted into complete FASTag lanes in January 2021 and soon work on Vashi and Airoli toll plaza is expected to be completed and gradually on remaining city toll nakas the FASTag conversion work will be taken up, said Phand.