Times of India: Mumbai: Thursday, November 23, 2017.
A Mumbai
Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) report has contradicted toll
collection figures at the Vashi creek bridge even as activists have been
alleging under-reporting of vehicles.
The state
government had recently extended the toll recovery period by 10 years (from
2026 to 2036) at Vashi to facilitate construction of another bridge, in
addition to three lanes each on either sides of the existing bridge, at a cost
of over Rs 750 crore. But RTI activists questioned the toll recovery, which has
now been contradicted by a government agency. This, they said, endorsed their
claim of under-reporting by the toll operator, allegedly to siphon off
additional collection.
RTI activist
Sanjay Shirodkar said the feasibility report by MMRDA with the help of Arup CES
KPMG in September 2012 for the Nhava-Sewri sea link suggested that the bridge
had over 1.11 lakh average daily traffic (ADT) passing daily, while Maharashtra
State Road Development Corp (MSRDC) contractor figures suggested that in
September 2012 they were 58,758, and in Sept 2017 it was only 74,441. "The
contractor's figures suggest nearly 34-48% fewer vehicles than the survey
count. In September 2017, it should have been close to around 1.5 lakh ADT if
an average 10% annual increase in vehicles in Mumbai metropolitan region is
considered," he said. The gap between the official survey and actual
numbers, Shirodkar said, indicated a possibility of financial irregularities in
toll collection. The survey of daily traffic on Vashi bridge was conducted in
Sept 2012 for 24 hours for over a week.
A senior
official of Mumbai Entry Point Toll Ltd (MEPTL), which collects toll at Vashi
on behalf of MSRDC, said they had not seen the Arup CES KPMG data, which may be
of passenger car units (PCUs), which are always more as one multi-axel vehicle
is considered as six PCUs. Similarly, he said, once passes are issued to
vehicles, multiple trips through the toll plaza are not counted. "Whatever
we report to MSRDC is the number of monthly or other periodic passes issued on
a particular day, and also charges recovered against that. If these aspects are
considered, there may be a 30-40% variation," he pointed out, terming the
allegation of irregularity as a figment of imagination.
"A few
days back, I received many reports under RTI from MMRDA on Mumbai Trans Harbour
Link Sewree Nhava project. Among many reports, I read the 420-page final
feasibility report prepared by Arup CES KPMG in September 2012. It talks about
daily traffic on Vashi bridge. The figure they came up with is 1,11,616,
including cars/taxis, buses and trucks. When I cross-checked the traffic
population submitted by the Mumbai Entry Point contractor with MSRDC for September
2012, it was an average daily traffic of 58,758. In September 2017, the story
of under-reporting is not different. For September 2017, the average daily
traffic count is 74,441," said Shirodkar.
Another RTI
activist said if MMRDA's survey is considered, MEP and MSRDC must have already
recovered the cost.
The cabinet
committee on infrastructure, headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis,
approved the toll collection extension proposal of MSRDC in June. As MSRDC will
build a third bridge on the Thane creek at Vashi, the state government cleared
its proposal to collect toll till 2036.
The first
Thane creek bridge was built in 1973, but the two-lane bridge soon corroded. In
1987, the state government started to build a second bridge, which was thrown open
in 1997. Until recently, traffic between Mumbai-Navi Mumbai moved on the second
six-lane bridge, and only light vehicles were allowed to use the old bridge.
Traffic was stopped on the old bridge last August after cracks were spotted.
The maximum capacity of the 1997 bridge is 12,500 PCUs a day. But as 17,500
PCUs use the bridge, MSRDC has appointed contractors to start construction of
the new bridge from March 2018. The project is expected to take three years.
Traffic now converges on the six-lane creek bridge as the entire Sion-Panvel
highway has become a 10-12 lane road.
Of Mumbai's
five entry points, extension of toll recovery has been given only for the Thane
creek bridge at Vashi. The toll contract for Vashi and four other posts was
given in 2010 after MEP paid the state Rs 2,100 crore upfront and gave an
assurance to maintain over 22 MSRDC flyovers, bridges and subways. By the time
the contract ends in 2026, MEP would have a whopping Rs 11,000 crore in its
kitty, which is almost over 500% over the original cost. The gains by 2026
include maintenance cost and the interest rate of a loan taken by MEP.
.JPG)
.JPG)
