Pune: Even as thousands of motorists remained stranded for hours on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway following the overturning of a gas tanker on Tuesday, toll collection continued uninterrupted, triggering sharp criticism from citizen groups and commuters, who accused authorities and toll operators of abandoning their responsibility during a crisis.
Vehicles remained stationary near the accident site overnight, leaving passengers, including women and children, without food, water, or toilet facilities for hours. The latest disruption reignited a long-standing question from commuters: why is a full toll charged when the expressway fails to provide even basic mobility, safety or emergency support?
Vivek Velankar, president of Sajag Nagarik Manch, said the absence of a policy to suspend toll collection during major traffic jams reflects a deeper systemic failure. “There should have been a mandatory rule long ago that toll collection must stop the moment a traffic jam occurs, not just on this expressway but across highways. People have been stranded for hours on multiple occasions, yet toll collection has never been halted,” he said.
Velankar also criticised the lack of accountability among the multiple agencies managing the expressway. “The government hands over the road to toll contractors and believes its role ends there. Contractors collect toll and wash their hands of responsibility. In the end, the entire system runs on luck, while citizens are left to suffer,” he said, adding that neither toll staff nor senior officials were visible on-site even after nearly 22 hours of congestion.
Commuters echoed the anger. “I paid full toll only to be stuck for nearly 10 hours without water, food or any information,” said Vinit Kalantri, a marketing executive travelling from Pune to Mumbai. “If the road is unusable and there is no assistance, what exactly are we paying toll for? At the very least, toll collection should stop during emergencies.”
The controversy has also revived scrutiny of long-delayed solutions, such as the Missing Link project, which was proposed to decongest the expressway. Citizen groups pointed out that despite repeated announcements over the past five years, there remains little clarity on timelines or accountability for the delay.
A senior Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged public anger but said toll operations were governed by contractual frameworks. “Toll collection and traffic management function under separate mechanisms. While we understand commuters’ frustration, suspending toll collection requires policy-level decisions. There is, however, a need to revisit protocols for handling prolonged traffic disruptions,” the official said.
With traffic snarls becoming increasingly frequent, citizen groups warned that unless toll collection is linked to service delivery, emergency response and accountability, the Mumbai-Pune Expressway risks becoming a symbol of institutional failure rather than a modern transport corridor.