Scrap Mumbai toll tax, demands NCP

The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday demanded abolition of toll tax in Mumbai and warned of an agitation over its demand.

NCP city president Sachin Ahir said abolition of toll booths has been a long pending demand of the people of Maharashtra.

"It was also one of the pre-poll promises made by the Bharatiya Janata Party while campaigning last year. Now, the government must fulfil its assurances," Ahir told media persons.

The demand came a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in Nagpur the government's plan to scrap toll tax collection in Kolhapur from January 1, 2016.

Lauding the move, Ahir said that now the government must wake up from its slumber and abolish all toll collection posts at the five entry points to Mumbai, failing which the NCP would take to the streets.

The state PWD is awaiting a report on the issue of toll collection at the five entry points to be prepared by December 31 by a committee headed by additional chief secretary Anand Kulkarni.

The five toll posts are at Dahisar, Mulund, Airoli, L.B.S. Marg and Vashi where collection is done by government appointed contractors.

Since long, toll collection has been an emotional issue with the people, and has also been opposed by cricket legend Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar.

The government had earlier abolished toll tax at 65 points across the state, barring the five Mumbai entry points, the Y.B. Chavan Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Rajiv Gandhi Bandra Worli Sea Link and certain other places.