Manned toll at Bandra Terminus brazenly flouts WR rules: Passengers

While the service is free for all the vehicles which drop passengers at the terminus and exit within five minutes, the contractor is charging ₹30 to every motorist entering this manned gate irrespective of the time.

Mumbai: The intention of Western Railway (WR) behind starting a manned toll at the entrance of Bandra Terminus may have been good, however, the contractor appears to be milking money out of this idea much to the chagrin of the passengers and transporters.

Mumbai, India - April 25, 2023: A general view of Toll Naka, at Bandra Terminus, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

In a bid to manage the chaos of vehicles outside the terminus, the WR, from March 30, started an access-controlled parking facility or a manned toll at the entrance. The WR had claimed their aim was to streamline parking of vehicles, align the entry and exit of auto rickshaws, aggregator cabs and private vehicles outside the terminus.

While the service is free for all the vehicles which drop passengers at the terminus and exit within five minutes, the contractor is charging ₹30 to every motorist entering this manned gate irrespective of the time.

As a result, WR has been receiving complaints that passengers are forced to pay ₹30 at the entrance. For instance, Harish Agarwal, 43, and his family, left for Jammu from Bandra Terminus on April 24. He went with 10-12 members of his family and was finding it difficult to get taxis or aggregator cabs to take them to Bandra Terminus.

The access-controlled gate is barely a few metres away from the main entrance and Agarwal claimed that their cabs were out of the terminus premises in a couple of minutes. Others complained that those manning the access-controlled gate were asking people to pay up ₹30 at the entrance itself and issue a receipt for it.

“When I questioned this, they insisted that the fee is mandatory for all. The WR notice clearly mentions that the pick-up and drop charges start from the sixth minute. Yet they were asking every vehicle to pay ₹30,” said Subhash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad.

Sources said as per the process, ideally a ticket should be issued to vehicles entering through this access-controlled gate and charges if any, should be levied when the vehicle exits from the other side of the gate, only if it has crossed the five-minute bracket.

WR authorities said they are taking cognizance of the complaints. “We have placed our officers to keep a watch. The pick-up and drop facility is free for the first five minutes and the contractor is expected to follow this. In case of any complaints, necessary action will be taken,” said Sumit Thakur, chief PRO, WR.

The parking facility has a mechanised boom barrier system and designated ‘Pick Up’ and ‘Drop Points’ have been created near the station building for the passengers. To ensure ease of movement and to make the station premises congestion free, auto, taxi and private vehicles have been provided with dedicated lanes.

This facility will not be permitted beyond 30 minutes and the vehicle breaking this rule will be towed away and a flat charge of ₹500 per vehicle per day will be levied as penalty. Besides ample parking space for all types of vehicles, a round-the-clock CCTV surveillance system has been installed in the parking area to ensure the safety of passengers.

BOX: Parking tariffs

Time duration     Non-commercial vehicle Commercial vehicle

0-5 mins                0                       0

6-15 mins                ₹30                    ₹50

15-30 mins               ₹50                    ₹100