Higher Toll Is Taking a Toll on Vehicle Traffic on Atal Setu Leading to 70% Gap in Projected Traffic, Reveals RTI
Moneylife Digital Team 11 October 2024
Atal Setu, also known as the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), has become a key route for heavy vehicles. However, due to a heavy toll of Rs250 for a single journey and Rs375 for a return journey, the 21.8km longest sea bridge sees a substantially lower number of vehicles than what was estimated. A reply received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by activist Jeetendra Ghadge shows a gap of 70% between the projection and actual use of Atal Setu by vehicles. 
 
Based on a reply received from the Mumbai metropolitan region development authority (MMRDA), Mr Ghadge says the bridge has significantly underperformed compared to its projected traffic for 2021 which was expected to be 89,463 vehicles per day. "In reality, it recorded an average daily traffic of only 24,000 vehicles in August 2024, reflecting a substantial gap of almost 70% between projections and actual usage."
 
"The statistics reveal a significant uptick in traffic from heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses, which have seen an impressive average increase of 700% from January to August 2024. However, they constitute only around 7% of the total traffic, with about 93% being passenger cars. Alarmingly, the number of cars travelling across the bridge has increased by just 31% during the same period," he says.
 
 
According to Mr Ghadge, from The Young Whistleblower Foundation, these discouraging figures are primarily due to the steep toll rates and inadequate connectivity to major connected roads, such as the Mumbai-Pune highway. He says, "Daily commuters from Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai find the toll of Rs375 (for a return journey) for car users unaffordable, prompting many middle-class residents to seek alternative routes. Consequently, the bridge benefits only affluent drivers, while ordinary citizens relying on private cab services also hesitate due to the high toll costs." 
 
In terms of toll collection, the MMRDA reports an 80% increase from January to August 2024. Total collections rose from Rs8.68 crore in January to Rs15.76 crore by August 2024. Despite this surge in revenue, the authority remains far from its targeted daily volume of 70,000 vehicles.
 
 
Mr Ghadge says, "To unlock the full potential of the bridge, the government should reduce toll charges by 40% for private cars and eliminate tolls for taxis and private cab services. This way, ordinary citizens can benefit from the bridge; otherwise, it will only serve the wealthy and heavy commercial vehicles."  
 
The MTHL, officially named Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu and colloquially known as Atal Setu, is a 21.8km 6-lane grade-separated expressway bridge which connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. The road is linked to the Mumbai–Pune Expressway in the east and to the Coastal Road in the west. 
 
Atal Setu cost a total of Rs17,843 crore. The bridge can handle 70,000 vehicles per day. Construction on the bridge began in April 2018 and it was inaugurated by prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi on 12 January 2024.
 
Comments
prasanna
4 months ago
Having read the article and all comments on it till date, I feel (1) The planners and executors, like for Metro stations, forget there have to be proper last mile linkages to use the bridge, due to which the approach roads to the bridge are not planned properly. This mistake is gross negligence and basic common sense has not been used by them. Firstly, they should be held accountable for their negligence. (2) Now coming to the rates charged. The loans taken for construction have to be repaid. One cannot make the bridge free for use by public transport buses which have no intermediate stops - I doubt how many will run on the bridge. Users are paying cab tariff then why crib for the toll fees. (3) To maximize revenues first get the connectivity to the bridge in order and then see the outcome. (4) Lowering the return / daily / monthly pass is also necessary. Railways Pune Mumbai monthly passes were = 4 daily trips tickets. The babus responsible for repayment of loans have to put themselves in the shoes of the users and review the toll charges considering the experience gains so far.
sachraaz2014
4 months ago
Monthly one time return journey also expensive. There should be if you are daily up and down only one time there should be toll weive off
nadeemsmarty
4 months ago
Middle class car owners cannot use this bridge for their daily commute through cars due to heavy toll....
deepa01ketan02
4 months ago
Full potential will be realized only after 3 things (NMIAL, Worli-Sewri connector and finally connector between MTHL & Mumbai-Pune expressway)
arbaazshikalgar128
4 months ago
Actually a Good point to reduce the toll for atleast 100-150rs for private cars and free for Cabs and Taxis Then it will be a better option and mumbai will see a good decrease in Traffic throughout the Eastern express way
nelsondantas1212
4 months ago
Most politicians are uneducated people from villages who grew up in poverty , selling tea or washing clothes somewhere ...there only Goal in life after coming to power is enjoy on tax payers money and make the same tax payer suffer ....for them car owners are like bakras who have to be slaughtered right from the time they purchase vechile , buy fuel , toll tax , traffic challans , parking fine ....maar dalo saalo ko ...how dare u buy car while I grew up eating gobar says the politician.
sudhirbadami
4 months ago
This may be outrageous to many but as a member of the toll determination committee for Atal Setu, I had suggested ?500 as toll for single use of Atal Setu, no rebate for return or monthly passes. I had also suggested that buses of capacity more than 10 must be not tolled at all. Repayment of loan from JICA should be made by charging cars and freight.

Common man is not car user but he is public transport user. If there is sufficient services of buses at both ends of the bridge and a high frequency mini bus service from Sewri to Chirle, then more common man will be using Atal Setu.

So long as planners, citizens and media thinks common man is car or taxi user, public transport will never get the needed support.
bmwagleonline
Replied to sudhirbadami comment 4 months ago
This is an excellent suggestion, although some rebate for daily or frequent traveler pvt cars would be useful. If someone is traveling occasionally by car or taxi and they think saving time is more important than the cost, they should pay. Those seeking to use it occasionally or for a joy ride just because it's there should not crib about high toll. The Atal Setu is the kind of road that must be compulsorily used by public transport buses because there are no residential or business areas along the route, unlike the WEH and the EEH, which run parallel to heavily populated areas that need feeder bus services.
rockycablenetwork
4 months ago
For kharghar & kamote residents, this bridge is useless by paying heavy tolls.
Govt should think about common man. Should bring the rates to Rs.100 one side travel & no discount for return
manswatitrading
4 months ago
The real Challenge is is not just the toll.. but the bottle neck from Pune Mumbai Express way to the bridge. It riddled with pot holes traffic jams, and chaotic village traffic. They have to make the connectivity to the bridge a haven. The solution is missing a major link.
deeprag5355
4 months ago
In addition to high toll rate, what discourages drivers to use this bridge is a clumsy areas on either ends of bridge. The journey on bridge is marvelous but experiences on either ends are awful.
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