The coronavirus-induced lockdown affected several people's income. From soaring prices of daily essentials to pay cut, financial woes just refuse to die down. Adding to this, now commuters will also have to worry about paying extra before entering Mumbai toll from October 1. The toll rates are set to be hiked at Vashi, Mulund, LBS Marg, Airoli and Dahisar toll plazas.
The one-way toll for a passenger car, which was Rs 35, will now be Rs 40. The toll rates for buses, mini-buses and trucks have also changed. As per the revised toll rates, mini-buses will have to pay Rs 65 instead of the existing Rs 45 and trucks and buses will have to pay Rs 130 instead of the current rate of Rs 105. The new rates will be applicable till September 30, 2023.
As per a state government notification, for toll recovery against cost of flyovers, bridges, subways, road development and maintenance, the increase of rates is made effective every three years.
Meanwhile, the during the first phase of coronavirus lockdown, which was announced in March, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) decided to stop collecting toll in the country amid the coronavirus pandemic. But, later in April it resumed toll collection.
In a bid to increase digital tax collection, called FASTag, the NHAI has also rolled out the electronic toll collection programme across India in December, which is available across 500 toll plazas. If a person have FASTag, the toll charges have to be paid twice the regular amount.
Also, vehicles with invalid or non-functional FASTags will be charged double the toll fee applicable on the national highways.
"User of the vehicle not fitted with FASTag or vehicle without valid, functional 'FASTag' entering into 'FASTag lane' of the Fee plazas shall pay a fee equivalent to two times of the fee applicable to that category of vehicles," as per a notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
