Pune: Despite Relaxation, Local Residents Forced To Pay Toll At Khed Shivapur Toll Plaza

Khed Shivapur, 9th October 2021: Residents of five taluka in the Pune district are given relaxation from toll tax at Khed-Shivapur Toll Plaza. Despite the relaxation, the citizens having FASTag on their vehicles are made to pay the toll as the amount gets deducted while crossing the toll plaza.

Therefore, citizens are demanding to provide a separate lane at the toll plaza for vehicles receiving relaxation in toll tax.

To remove the Toll Plaza at Khed Shivapur on the Pune-Satara highway, a committee of local residents made an agitation in 2019. At that time it was decided to provide toll tax relaxation for residents of Haveli (Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad City), Bhor, Velhe, Mulshi and Purandar taluka by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Reliance infra company. The residents from these tehsils have been receiving toll tax relaxation since then.

But as the government made FASTag for every vehicle, residents of these tehsils are also experiencing a reduction of toll amount from their account and now the citizens are demanding a separate lane for vehicles from these tehsils.

Speaking about this, Amit Bhatiya, manager of Khed-Shivapur Toll plaza said, “We are allowing vehicles to go ahead after checking their ID card. But as of now, there is no system available to avoid the reduction of tax amount for FASTag holders. Also, it is not possible to provide a separate lane for the vehicles of local citizens. It is suggested that the owner of the vehicle should remove the fast tag while passing through this toll plaza or should take a monthly pass.’’