Mumbai-Pune Expressway gridlock: Over 1 lakh motorists to get Rs 5 crore toll refund after 33-hour jam

• 1 lakh motorists to receive Rs 5 crore toll refund after 33-hour jam
• Refunds will be credited to FASTag accounts in coming days
• Jam caused by overturned gas tanker near Adoshi Tunnel on Feb 3

Did our AI summary help?

In a significant move aimed at providing relief to over one lakh motorists who endured a harrowing 33-hour traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has announced a full toll refund totalling Rs 5.16 crore.

The massive disruption occurred on the evening of February 3, following an incident in which a gas tanker overturned near the Adoshi Tunnel in the Khandala Ghat section. The subsequent safety protocols and the sheer scale of the disruption brought traffic to a complete standstill for more than a day, with queues stretching for nearly 20 kilometres by the following evening.

Commuters stranded on the expressway faced acute shortages of drinking water, food and other basic amenities, with women, the elderly and children bearing the brunt of the ordeal due to the lack of toilet facilities.

While authorities ordered an immediate suspension of toll collection to ease the passage of vehicles once the jam began to clear, a senior MSRDC official confirmed on Sunday that fees had already been deducted from the FASTag accounts of numerous motorists before the suspension could be fully implemented at the plaza.

“It has been decided to refund the entire amount collected from vehicle owners even after the order to halt toll collection was issued. The refund of Rs 5.16 crore will be processed by MSRDC. The amount will be directly credited to FASTag accounts of affected vehicle owners in the next few days,” the official told PTI.

The refund will cover tolls collected on both carriageways of the expressway. The MSRDC has directed the toll operator, IRB MPEPL, to provide complete transaction records for scrutiny. “Some transactions may have been automatically processed before the toll plaza barriers were fully opened despite instructions to stop collection. All such transactions are being scrutinised and the amounts will be returned to the concerned motorists,” the official added.

The crisis was triggered when the gas-filled tanker overturned near the Khopoli stretch, prompting a massive response from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), and Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) teams.

The Pune-bound lane was completely closed as a precautionary measure and traffic was diverted to the old Mumbai-Pune Highway. For a period, vehicles were moved in short, controlled blocks of 15-20 minutes to manage the situation.

Throughout the ordeal, the MSRDC and the expressway operator maintained communication with stranded passengers, providing updates via FM radio and social media, urging non-essential travel to be avoided.

Relief teams from IRB MPEPL and the Pune Rural Police distributed water and biscuits where possible. The prolonged gridlock had drawn sharp criticism on social media, with many users referring to the vital transport artery as a 'parking lot'.