The toll booth violence in Maharashtra is spreading each day as MNS and Shiv Sena workers are refusing to pay toll and vandalising toll booths. MNS chief Raj Thackeray announced that his party workers will not pay toll fees even if it means resorting to violence. "I am instructing all MNS workers, colleagues and people not to pay toll at any toll booth in Maharashtra from now on.If someone opposes you, fight them," Thackeray said.
Here's a look at what the issue is about:
- Expressways and new roads/highways are built by private companies, mostly on a BOT or Build Operate Transfer basis. In lieu these private entities are allowed to collect toll.
- In other cases 'toll collection agencies' bid for stretches of roads, pay the government a lump sum amount and over a period to collect toll on that stretch
- The allegation is that the process in not transparent. There is prolonged tax collection and overcharging of users.
- Additionally the NHAI clearly states that there has to be a minimum distance of 80 km between toll booths, but in some places in Maharashtra there are toll booths within 30 km.
- There is also no improvement of roads or services/amenities are absent which they are mandated to provide as per contracts, yet toll charges are quite high
- There are five main points of entry to Mumbai, which together rake in the highest toll collection across cities.
Big questions:
- Why is the state government silent on the MNS chief's open call to his supporters to use violence if asked to pay toll charges?
- Isn't the MNS doing so with an eye on elections given the vexed issue of toll collection has been a long standing political issue
- Why has the Maharashtra government not ensured that toll collection contracts are given in a transparent manner? Why is toll on several stretches collected indefinitely?
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