The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) for how long motorists would pay the toll on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and G.S. Kulkarni was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by advocate Pravin Wategaonkar and three others challenging the toll collection on the expressway. Mr. Wategaonkar said that the collection of toll had been illegal since August 10, 2019, and sought an exemption from payment for light motor vehicles till the matter was heard.
The HC asked the advocate representing the MSRDC for how many more years would it continue to collect the toll? “Is the government receiving its share of toll revenue?,” the Bench asked.
The MSRDC advocate requested the court to give time to file a detailed reply. The HC adjourned the hearing for two weeks.
The PIL said, “The Motor Vehicles Tax allows the government to collect toll only to recover the capital…