Moneylife: National: Tuesday,
8 October 2024.
Atal Setu, also known as the
Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), has become a key route for heavy vehicles.
However, due to a heavy toll of Rs250 for a single journey and Rs375 for a
return journey, the 21.8km longest sea bridge sees a substantially lower number
of vehicles than what was estimated. A reply received under the Right to
Information (RTI) Act by activist Jeetendra Ghadge shows a gap of 70% between
the projection and actual use of Atal Setu by vehicles.
Based on a reply received from the Mumbai metropolitan region development authority (MMRDA), Mr Ghadge says the bridge has significantly underperformed compared to its projected traffic for 2021 which was expected to be 89,463 vehicles per day. "In reality, it recorded an average daily traffic of only 24,000 vehicles in August 2024, reflecting a substantial gap of almost 70% between projections and actual usage."
"The statistics reveal a significant uptick in traffic from heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses, which have seen an impressive average increase of 700% from January to August 2024. However, they constitute only around 7% of the total traffic, with about 93% being passenger cars. Alarmingly, the number of cars travelling across the bridge has increased by just 31% during the same period," he says.
According to Mr Ghadge from
The Young Whistleblower Foundation, these discouraging figures are primarily
due to the steep toll rates and inadequate connectivity to major connected
roads, such as the Mumbai-Pune highway. He says, "Daily commuters from
Navi Mumbai to South Mumbai find the toll of Rs375 (for a return journey) for
car users unaffordable, prompting many middle-class residents to seek
alternative routes. Consequently, the bridge benefits only affluent drivers,
while ordinary citizens relying on private cab services also hesitate due to
the high toll costs."
In terms of toll collection, the MMRDA reports an 80% increase from January to August 2024. Total collections rose from Rs8.68 crore in January to Rs15.76 crore by August 2024. Despite this surge in revenue, the authority remains far from its targeted daily volume of 70,000 vehicles.
Mr Ghadge says, "To
unlock the full potential of the bridge, the government should reduce toll
charges by 40% for private cars and eliminate tolls for taxis and private cab
services. This way, ordinary citizens can benefit from the bridge; otherwise,
it will only serve the wealthy and heavy commercial vehicles."
The MTHL, officially named Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu and colloquially known as Atal Setu, is a 21.8km 6-lane grade-separated expressway bridge which connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. The road is linked to the Mumbai–Pune Expressway in the east and to the Coastal Road in the west.
Atal Setu cost a total of Rs17,843 crore. The bridge can handle 70,000 vehicles per day. Construction on the bridge began in April 2018 and it was inaugurated by prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi on 12 January 2024.
Based on a reply received from the Mumbai metropolitan region development authority (MMRDA), Mr Ghadge says the bridge has significantly underperformed compared to its projected traffic for 2021 which was expected to be 89,463 vehicles per day. "In reality, it recorded an average daily traffic of only 24,000 vehicles in August 2024, reflecting a substantial gap of almost 70% between projections and actual usage."
"The statistics reveal a significant uptick in traffic from heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses, which have seen an impressive average increase of 700% from January to August 2024. However, they constitute only around 7% of the total traffic, with about 93% being passenger cars. Alarmingly, the number of cars travelling across the bridge has increased by just 31% during the same period," he says.
In terms of toll collection, the MMRDA reports an 80% increase from January to August 2024. Total collections rose from Rs8.68 crore in January to Rs15.76 crore by August 2024. Despite this surge in revenue, the authority remains far from its targeted daily volume of 70,000 vehicles.
The MTHL, officially named Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Atal Setu and colloquially known as Atal Setu, is a 21.8km 6-lane grade-separated expressway bridge which connects Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. The road is linked to the Mumbai–Pune Expressway in the east and to the Coastal Road in the west.
Atal Setu cost a total of Rs17,843 crore. The bridge can handle 70,000 vehicles per day. Construction on the bridge began in April 2018 and it was inaugurated by prime minister (PM) Narendra Modi on 12 January 2024.
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