In an open letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Iqbal Singh Chahal, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray has urged to scrap the toll collection on Mumbai’s Western Express Highway (WEH) at Dahisar and Eastern Express Highway (EEH) at Mulund.
Taking it to Twitter, he said: “We Mumbaikars are paying twice to maintain these roads - Toll and our taxes to BMC.”
Raising this issue, Thackeray in his letter questioned that the crucial question that begs to be asked is, why are Mumbaikars, who are already some of the highest contributors to revenues of union and state government, being unfairly charged twice? The toll money being collected is going to the MSRDC coffers, while BMC maintains the roads. Mumbaikars cannot be charged unfairly, twice, for the highways and bridges that they will now pay for through BMC taxes, and more so, that are so badly maintained, even under MSRDC for years.
Why should Mumbaikars pay toll now to the MSRDC when the maintenance of the WEH and EEH is under BMC, which already charges us with a "street tax" amongst many others?
“As you are well aware the BMC has taken over the maintenance of the Western Express Highway and the Eastern Express Highway from the MMRDA. While we see no real change yet in the upkeep of these roads, one crucial factor that will give immediate relief to Mumbaikars is the scrapping of toll plazas. The toll plazas at Mumbai's entry points have now begun to create unnecessary nuisance with traffic snarls and pollution. Furthermore, it wastes the time, energy and money of commuters daily. Why should we pay a toll tax for a government backed corporation, that has nothing to do with the roads we use and are paying the toll for apparently?” Thackeray added.
I have written to @mybmc administrator Chahal ji, asking him to scrap the toll collection of MSRDC on Mumbai’s WEH and EEH.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) August 7, 2023
We Mumbaikars are paying twice to maintain these roads- Toll and our taxes to BMC.
Do read and share if you agree. pic.twitter.com/wiDorA0IgN
Furthermore, he alleged that the advertisement hoarding revenue across the WEH and EEH apparently goes to the MSRDC even today, after the handover.
“What business does it have to collect revenue from the hoardings that should belong to the collections of the BMC and Mumbai directly? I hope that you will take forward my humble petition to you, for the benefit of my fellow Mumbaikars and those from other cities who come to Mumbai, every day, for their livelihood, with the following 2 demands:
1) The tolls on these roads be scrapped and Mumbaikars not be charged twice, unfairly.
2) Advertisement hoarding revenue to come to BMC directly.
This is purely an economic argument about the burden of direct and indirect taxation, that has caused a loss to Mumbaikars in terms of traffic, time, energy and money, that must be rectified at the earliest, Thackeray exclaimed.”
Share
Tweet
