Mumbai: In a setback to plans of easing the traffic-clogged roads at Dahisar, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has shot down the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation’s (MSRDC’s) decision to shift the toll plaza on the Vasai section of the national highway to a point closer to the Versova Bridge.
On September 9, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, who is also the urban development minister and minister for MSRDC, had decided to relocate the toll plaza 2 kms away, to a point near Versova Bridge, to ease the traffic congestion along the route. Now, the Dahisar toll naka comes within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) jurisdiction, but if moved further, it will be in the jurisdiction of the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC).
The MSRDC had written to the NHAI on September 22 seeking permission to allow the relocation of the toll booths beyond the Versova Bridge. On Thursday, NHAI’s Mumbai office, in charge of developing and managing the national highways in the state, posted on X, “After due examination, the Competent Authority of NHAI did not agree to the relocation of the toll plaza.” The post explained that the MRSDC’s proposal did not align with the regulations that govern the determination and collection of toll fees on National Highways in India, and that this had been conveyed to the MSRDC.
Minister of transport Pratap Sarnaik during his visit to Dahisar toll plaza on August 13, had announced the plans to shift the facility to ease vehicular congestion at Dahisar. He had said the aim of the relocation was to address the complaint of local residents who said that the Dahisar toll plaza led to a bottleneck in the area. The plan was to shift toll booths by Diwali.
Apart from easing the existing traffic congestion, the relocation was also planned since the Metro Line 9 was nearing completion. Since one of the metro’s stations is close to the toll plaza, once the line is operational, the traffic congestion around the area is expected to increase. However, several political leaders, including ones from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had seen the toll naka’s relocation as a political move by Sarnaik, and opposed it.
The NHAI, MSRDC officials, and Sarnaik could not be reached for a comment on the matter.