Mira-Bhayandar: Irate over an alarming number of complaints received regarding massive traffic jams at the toll plaza in Dahisar, local legislator and transport minister- Pratap Sarnaik visited the spot-on Thursday and reprimanded the contractor for shoddy management which according to him was the main reason which was causing the mess.
Sarnaik who was accompanied by municipal commissioner- Sanjay Katkar, officials from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Traffic Department and Regional Traffic Office (RTO) issued a three-day deadline to the representatives of the toll collection agency to streamline the traffic flow by installing compact barricades and segregating dedicated lanes for exempted and non-exempted vehicles for decongestion and smooth uninterrupted traffic flow.
Pratap Sarnaik Inspects Dahisar Toll Plaza, Issues Three-Day Deadline to Resolve Traffic Issues | File Photo
“I have passed necessary directions tagged with a three-day deadline. I will revisit the spot again on Monday to ensure if the contractor has followed the remedial measures, if not necessary action will be taken.” said Sarnaik.
The erstwhile Eknath Shinde-led government had granted complete toll exemption for light motor vehicles (LMV) at all five toll booths in Mumbai including the Dahisar Toll Plaza on 15 October, last year.
Apart from providing relief to motorists who were charged Rs.45 each time they crossed over, the purpose of the waiver was to minimise pollution and curtail traffic snarls at the toll plazas. However, due to the alleged mismanagement by the toll contractor, traffic congestion continued to prevail on both sides of roads leading to the toll plaza located on the highway in Dahisar.
In another related development, Sarnaik informed that directions have been issued to the MMRDA officials to ensure that the second and third under construction fly-over-bridges at S.K.Stone and Golden Nest on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Marg are completed and thrown open for vehicular movement on occasion of Shiv Jayanti (19, February, 2025) and Independence Day (15, August,2025) respectively.
Remedial Measures
1) Immediately reserve only three queues on the highway towards Mumbai and two queues on the highway for toll collection of heavy vehicles.
2) The remaining road should be cleared for light motor vehicles.
3) Boards giving information about the reserved queue should be put up for 500 meters on both sides for vehicle owners to move their vehicles forward through the respective queue in an orderly manner.
Metro to Run by Year-End
The minister also said that efforts were on to begin the Metro rail services by December, 2025. The Metro-9 Rail double decker viaduct offers connectivity between Dahisar-Mira Road-Bhayandar on a 10.41 km long elevated corridor having eight stations.
