The toll charges on Mumbai’s iconic Rajiv Gandhi Bandra Worli Sea Link will increase by about 18 per cent from April 1, officials from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation said on Friday.
An MSRDC spokesperson told PTI that the new toll rates for one-way journeys for cars and jeeps will be Rs 100 from the beginning of next month, while minibuses, tempos and other similar vehicles will have to pay Rs 160 for it.
Two-axle trucks will be charged Rs 210 for a one-way trip on the cable-stayed bridge on the Arabian Sea.
Motorists using the eight-lane overpass now pay Rs 85 for cars and jeeps, Rs 130 for minibuses, tempos and light commercial vehicles, and Rs 175 for two-axle trucks and buses. These rates have been in force since April 1, 2021.
The new toll rates on the sea link, which opened for traffic in 2009, will be applicable between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2027, he said.
Every day, scores of motorists use the sea link, connecting Worli in the Island City and Bandra in the Western suburbs of Mumbai for south-and-north-bound travel, avoiding traffic snarls in Mahim, Dadar, Prabhadevi and Worli areas.
As per the MSRDC official, motorists will get a rebate of 10 per cent and 20 per cent on the purchase of booklets containing 50 and 100 toll coupons in advance, respectively.
The rates of return journey pass and daily pass, valid till midnight, for frequent travellers shall be 1.5 times and 2.5 times their respective one-way toll charges, the spokesperson said, adding the cost of monthly passes will be 50 times their respective one-way travel rates.
The authorities have planned to connect the sea link with the under-construction Marine Drive-Worli coastal road at the Southern end and the Bandra-Versova coastal road at the Northern end.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde recently inaugurated the first phase of the coastal road project – a 10.5-km stretch – between Worli and Marine Drive in south Mumbai. This part is currently toll-free.
Once connected with the coastal roads at both ends of the sea link, the traffic on the coastal road is expected to increase.
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