Atal Setu traffic falls likely due to toll waiver

Mumbai's Atal Setu traffic fell after a ₹45 toll waiver at city entry points ahead of elections, with usage dropping from 714,213 in September to 667,803 in November.

The waiver of the ₹45 toll on light vehicles at the five entry points of Mumbai in October ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections is likely to have had a direct impact on vehicular traffic on the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, also known as Atal Setu.

Atal Setu traffic falls likely due to toll waiver

The number of vehicles using India’s longest sea bridge dropped from 714,213 in September to 707,104 in October and then to 667,803 in November, according to data from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The average daily traffic on the Atal Setu, whose toll charge for cars is ₹250, has dropped from 23,807 in September to 22,809 in October and then to 22,260 in November.

While an MMRDA spokesperson attributed the fall in traffic in October and November to the Diwali vacation period, two officials from the agency told HT, on the condition of anonymity, that the drop was because of the ₹45 toll being waived at Mumbai’s five entry points. Traffic figures for the first eight days of December were unavailable.

The Atal Setu, built at a cost of ₹17,843 crore, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12 and opened for traffic the following day. From January 13-31, the traffic figure was 520,652 or 27,403 daily–the highest ever. Several people had posted photos and videos on social media of taking a joyride on the 21.8-km sea bridge back then. The bridge has a capacity to handle 70,000 vehicles per day.

The six-lane Atal Setu connects Sewri in south Mumbai to Nhava Sheva in Navi Mumbai. The bridge, which is linked to the Mumbai-Pune expressway, was built to cut travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Four alternate routes, which were previously tolled, connect the two cities: Mankhurd-Vashi, Mulund-Airoli, Mulund-Thane (Eastern Express Highway), and Mulund-Thane (LBS Road).

The decision to do away with the ₹45 toll for light vehicles at Mumbai’s five entry points was announced on October 14, just over a month before Maharashtra went to the polls on November 20.