Commuters buy monthly toll pass online, appeals MSRDC

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has appealed FASTag users to buy the monthly toll pass online. In Mumbai, there are five toll plazas — Airoli , Vashi , Mulund , Dahisar and LBS Mulund.

The monthly toll pass buying process has been made completely online especially considering the prevailing COVID-19 situation and to prevent long queue at toll plazas. "Commuters sitting in the comfort of their home can purchase the single /multi toll pass (as per the requirement) and can also activate it online itself. The prevailing system of activating the pass within three days by going at the toll booth has been cancelled. Also, the condition of affixing the colour-coded sticker of toll contractor on the windscreen of the vehicle has been relaxed," said Vijay Waghmare Joint managing director, MSRDC.

According to MSRDC official, despite online provision to buy the monthly toll pass, commuters still prefer to buy these passes at the toll booths. In June, around 8,214 single and 12,490 multi monthly toll passes have been sold out, both through online and offline mode. Officials believe, if commuters buy these passes from online itself, the ratio will be much more higher. The monthly toll pass can be purchased online by two ways — first by visiting the www.nhai.org website or by logging in to the ICICIbankfastag site. ICICI has tied up the MEP Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., which is the toll operating agency. Meanwhile, it also clarified that no new FASTag needs to bought, exisiting FASTag users of any bank can buy the monthly pass.

In pre-COVID times, there were about 25,000 monthly toll pass holders of five city toll plazas.

The MSRDC from April 27 had started the monthly toll pass provision for only FASTag users. The intention is to encourage use of FASTag and prevent long queue at toll plazas resulting in traffic. The FPJ had reported about the elimination of mandatory visiting at city toll plaza for activation of toll pass.

Commuters using the city toll plazas frequently, can buy the pass for concession in toll rates. A single toll road user (car) having FASTag can spend Rs 1,240 and for multiple toll roads Rs 1,500 on a monthly toll pass.