Nashik: Protest Against Ghoti Toll Booth Over Mumbai Highway Potholes After Accident Kills One

The issue of potholes on the Mumbai-Nashik-Agra Highway has been in the news for the past several days. Due to these potholes, it takes around seven to eight hours to travel from Nashik to Mumbai or from Mumbai to Nashik. Yesterday, Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction’s MP Rajabhau Waje announced that until the potholes on the roads are covered, no toll will be charged.

Today, Sharad Pawar group NCP’s youth wing’s regional working president Purshottam Kadalag and NCP organising secretary Umesh Khatale led a strong protest against the Ghoti toll booth. Officials took the stance of stopping toll collection until the highway is repaired, raising slogans against the present government.

Rising accidents due to potholes

Two days ago, a young man from Igatpuri city died on the spot in an accident after a container hit a motorcycle rider at Vaitrana Phata. Protesters demanded that the toll road administration provide financial assistance to the youth's family. Patil, the manager of the toll booth, has been warned by the protestors that if financial assistance isn't provided to the family within 15 days, there will be severe agitation.

Many activists gathered at the Ghoti toll booth area and temporarily closed the toll booth. Apart from Kadalag and Khatale, present at the protest were Sharad Pawar Nationalist Congress Party’s youth district president Shamrao Hire, student district president Tushar Jadhav, youth working president Ganesh Gaidhani, Taluka president Kashinath Korde, Kiran Katore, organisers Kiran Bhusare, Somnath Ghare, Tejas Bhor, Sagar Toche, Navnath Lahange, Vaibhav Dhande, Ganesh Mate, Nilesh Dhande, Aniket Ghodse, Narendra Gathir, Laxman Dhande, Kisan Korde, Navnath Kale, Tushar Gaikar, and hundreds of other activists.