The Dahisar Toll Naka has become a big headache for the commuters travelling on a daily basis. The ongoing Metro work, poor condition of the existing roads and manual screening of FASTag stickers on vehicles are resulting in traffic snarls, wasting precious time and fuel of those using this toll plaza regularly. In fact, commuters have time again pointed out their grievances on social media but to date, the problem persists.

Mahesh Pawar, who works in a private company and stays just half a kilometre away from the Dahisar toll naka has to waste almost half an hour on a two-wheeler to reach at toll naka junction due to the massive traffic jam at any time of the day. He said, "Why is the toll naka still maintained here? It is well-known fact that due to affordable houses the crowd has shifted to this place and as per the rule, no toll plaza should be kept where there are large residential complexes. The junction has become a traffic nuisance for all commuters travelling in either direction." The said toll plaza should be shifted somewhere else immediately. In emergency situations like fire and for ambulances the situation becomes really worrisome, he asserted.

In September, Aditya Thackeray Suburban Guardian Minister also visited the site and took review from all competent authorities. However, despite taking several meetings in past not a single inch of progress has been recorded, according to the daily commuters experiencing the traffic havoc daily.

As per the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), daily nearly four lakh vehicles pass through the Dahisar toll plaza from both directions. In fact, the Mulund and Dahisar toll plazas are the two busiest plazas out of five Mumbai entry points. Since the Dahisar toll is connected to the national highways of Gujarat and other states therefore commercial containers are mostly seen here in large numbers adding to the traffic.

Meanwhile, MSRDC is planning to augment the said toll plaza for which it had demanded the vacant Octroi land from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). A negotiation on land rentals is ongoing, said an official.

Reportedly, until the Dahisar toll plaza structure demolishing work for the Metro Line 9 is not completed. This toll plaza cannot be converted into FASTag enabled lanes. Currently, MMRDA's appointed contractor has only managed to demolish the partial structure while the pillar work for the Metro is yet to begin at the plaza.

Due to this, handguns are being used to scan FASTag stickers. An official from the MSRDC stated that the manual screening is easy for small size vehicles, however, for larger vehicles like trucks, containers the toll operator man has to get inside the windscreen of the vehicle and do the scanning which is time consuming and adding to the traffic reportedly.

Voices of citizens & on Twitter:

Uttam Kadam

Resident of DB Ozone, Dahisar

The Dahisar toll naka has become a pain for all commuters. Every day and at any given point in time you will see massive traffic here. The situation should be improved. We are taxpayers and should be left to such suffering. Why don't the authorities remove this toll plaza for the convenience of people?

Mayur Kathe

Working in a Pvt Company & resident of Dahisar

Our only demand is this Dahisar toll naka should be removed or shifted to some other place. Commuting just a half a kilometre of distance from our building to this toll plaza we waste so much time. In an emergency situation, the condition becomes worse. Until the Metro work is complete this plaza should not be allowed to collect tolls.

On Twitter:

@SRCGupta

Sir @nitin_gadkari please travel once through #dahisartollnaka during peak hours without your VVIP convoy and without protocol, it a request of lakhs of citizens who travels daily and suffering due to toll naka . #mumbai #mumbaitraffic #mirabhayandar #miraroad

@alexsoloman

#dahisartollnaka is again jammed at this hour, not sure what will help the administration understand that this is not only wasting precious fuel, time n money ... But killing many ppl especially when an ambulance is stuck. #removedahisartollnaka @MiraBhayanderKr @mymirabhy

@sahileshvsol

The Mira Road residents shouldn’t be paying tolls, right? The situation at the toll naka is pretty bad out there.. it is time we get rid of the toll naka now ..#DahisarTollNaka