At least 1.2 lakh commuters will soon get refunds totalling Rs 5.16 crore for toll collected during the 32-hour traffic jam caused by a gas tanker that overturned near Khopoli on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on February 3, according to a report by The Times of India.
The refunds will cover tolls on both the expressway and the Pune-Bengaluru highway. “We have the data of the commuters from whom the toll was collected even after orders were issued to suspend it following the gas tanker mishap. The amount will be reimbursed to commuters in their FASTag accounts in the coming week,” TOI reported quoting an MSRDC official.
How will MSRDC refund your money?
Last week, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) had promised to return the toll money collected during the traffic disruption on the Mumbai side of the expressway, which lasted more than a day. MSRDC had also asked its concessionaire, IRB Infrastructure, for detailed FASTag deduction data after toll collection was stopped because of the mishap and the resulting traffic jam.
The official said IRB was asked to clarify if the toll was collected even after being instructed to stop. “It is believed that till the barriers were opened, there might have been transactions where funds were deducted from FASTag. We had sought data on the number of commuters whose money was deducted after the order was issued to suspend the toll collection. Those amounts will be refunded,” the official added.
What happened on Mumbai-Pune Expressway?
A massive traffic jam hit the Pune-bound lane of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Thursday. The congestion stretched for around 3.5 km between Datta Wadi and Dasturi in the Borghat section.
A team of three officers and 15 constables, led by Assistant Police Inspector Swapnil Patil, rushed to the expressway to control the situation.
The February 3 incident caused severe congestion, leaving thousands of commuters stranded on the expressway without basic facilities. Travellers, including senior citizens, women and children, faced major hardships, with many forced to cancel their plans. Public anger grew when reports emerged that toll collection continued at the Khalapur plaza for some time.
Opposition demands accountability
Opposition leaders, including MNS chief Raj Thackeray, had demanded that MSRDC, IRB and the traffic police ensure refunds to the affected commuters. The mishap also exposed shortcomings in the expressway’s infrastructure, including poor emergency response and inadequate facilities. Critics accused authorities of prioritising toll collection over commuter safety.