Driving on Mumbai-Pune Expressway to be costlier from this weekend. Here's why

Driving on Mumbai-Pune Expressway is set to become more expensive from April 1. The state government has decided to increase the toll rates by 18 per cent starting from next month. The expressway, which is the first access-controlled highway in India, will see toll feed exceed ₹300 for passenger vehicles within the next few days. For those who plan to use the expressway, driving will become dearer from this weekend itself, according to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

This jump in toll fees at the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is in tune with rules set by the government. The expressway usually sees a hike of around six per cent in toll rates every year. Instead of annual hike, the increase in toll fees is implemented cumulatively at 18 per cent after every three years. The decision was conveyed through a government notification dated August 9, 2004.

If you are planning take your four-wheeler for a drive on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway this weekend, get ready to pay ₹320 as toll fee. This is about ₹50 jump from the previous rate of ₹270 for cars and jeeps. All minubus and tempos will now have to pay increased toll of ₹495, a jump of ₹75 from the existing rate of ₹420.

For trucks and buses, toll for two-axle trucks will go up by ₹100. They will need to pay ₹685 instead of ₹585. The biggest increase in toll fee is for buses, which will pay ₹143 more to ply on the expressway. The toll rate has been revised from ₹797 to ₹940 to be effective from Saturday.

Bigger trucks with three-axles will now have to pay ₹1,630 as toll fee, a hike of ₹250 from ₹1,380 earlier. Multi-axle trucks and machinery-vehicles will have to pay ₹2,165 instead of ₹1,835.

The govenment officails have said that there will be no revision in toll on the expressway for the next six years. The updated toll fee for Mumbai-Pune Expressway will continue till 2030. Around 1.5 lakh vehicles ply every day on the 95-km long expressway that connects the business capital of India with Pune. It started operations in 2002. There are overall five toll plazas along the expressway with the main toll points located at Khalapur and Talegaon.

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