Over 1 lakh commuters get ₹5.16 cr toll tax refund after 33 hr disruption on Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Over one lakh motorists who were caught up in a massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will get a toll refund valued at ₹5.16 crore earlier this month after a gas tanker disruption, a senior Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation official said on Sunday, as per reports.​

On the evening of February 3, a massive disruption occurred on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, where a gas tanker overturned near the Adoshi Tunnel in the Khandala Ghat section. This incident brought traffic to a complete standstill for 33 hours, stretching nearly 20 kilometers by the following evening.

As per the reports, this traffic jam led commuters to be stranded on the expressway and faced shortage of drinking water, food, and other basic amenities. Due to the absence of toilet facilities on the expressway, women and elderly  faced more problems, as per reports.

Following the disruption , the administration had ordered an immediate suspension of toll collection, but before that, toll charges had already been deducted from the FASTag accounts of several motorists. 

It has been decided to refund the entire amount collected from vehicle owners even after the order to halt toll collection was issued. The total refund of ₹5.16 crore will be processed by MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation).