‘No Road, No Toll’: Activist Raises Complaint Over Toll Collection on Pune–Kolhapur Highway
Pune, 26th March 2026: A social activist has written to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari raising concerns over alleged illegal toll collection on the incomplete stretch of National Highway 48 between Pune, Satara and Kolhapur.
Raj Singh, founder of the Sikh Helpline Foundation, has urged the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to stop toll collection on the highway until the ongoing construction work is substantially completed. The letter has also been marked to the project director of NHAI’s Pune/Kolhapur division and officials of the ministry.
In his complaint, Singh said commuters are being forced to pay toll charges despite the highway being under heavy construction and in poor condition. He claimed that large portions of the road are filled with diversions, construction debris and incomplete service roads, making travel slow and risky.
According to Singh, a journey that normally takes about four hours is currently taking nearly seven hours due to the ongoing work and poor traffic management. He also cited a video recorded during his recent travel that allegedly shows active construction zones and a lack of proper signage at diversion points.
The complaint highlights three major issues faced by commuters on the Pune–Kolhapur stretch of National Highway 48. Singh alleged that toll collection is unjustified when the highway does not provide the expected quality of infrastructure. He also pointed out serious safety concerns, including inadequate street lighting and confusing diversions between Satara and Kagal, which he said pose a risk to motorists, especially during night travel.
He further raised concerns about delays in the project, stating that while large infrastructure plans and tunnel projects are being announced, the existing road surface continues to suffer from potholes and uneven joints.
Singh has urged the Union ministry to implement a “No Road, No Toll” policy on the Pune–Kolhapur corridor until at least 90 percent of the six-laning work and service roads are completed. He also called on NHAI to carry out urgent surface repairs on diversion routes and issue a transparent timeline for the completion of the Satara–Kagal project packages.
Calling the highway a lifeline for Maharashtra, Singh expressed hope that the Union minister would intervene to address what he described as a “toll for no road” situation affecting thousands of daily commuters.
