Road tax slashed by 50%

In a significant decision made during cabinet meeting on 4^th January, 2024 presided over by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the toll rates for the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu have been finalized. The road tax for vehicles traversing this bridge will be reduced by 50%, offering commuters substantial savings.

The revised toll for cars will now be Rs. 250, down from the previous Rs. 500. Additionally, frequent travellers can avail return passes at one and a half times the one-way fare, daily passes at two and a half times the one-way fares, and monthly passes at fifty times the one-way fares.

The construction of Atal Setu incurred a total expenditure of Rs. 21,200 crore, with a loan of Rs. 15,100 crore being utilized for the project. The bridge, spanning 15 km and facilitating smoother traffic flow from Panvel to South Mumbai, is expected to reduce travel time by one and a half to two hours during peak hours, resulting in estimated fuel cost savings of at least Rs. 500 per vehicle.

For environmental conservation, noise barriers have been installed on the sea route sides of Atal Setu, particularly between 0 to 4 kilometers, aimed at protecting flamingo birds at Sewri. Additionally, visual barriers have been strategically placed at kilometer intervals between 4 to 10 km, safeguarding highly sensitive areas such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) and the Oil Refinery at Mahul.

It has been announced that the road tax rate for Atal Setu will undergo a review after one year, with further decisions to be made based on the assessment.