Bandra-Versova sea link in Mumbai spins nightmare, users to pay Rs 250 as toll

The one-way toll for light motor vehicles that will ply on the proposed Bandra-Versova Sea Link (BVSL) has for now been set at Rs 250, which is the same amount a Mumbaikar shells out to buy 3 litre of petrol, according to projections of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

The per-kilometer toll charged for the 17-km-long BVSL is projected to be Rs 19.80, while on the Bandra Worli Sea Link, the toll charge is Rs 12 per kilometre.

The toll, projected to be collected over 28 years, will recover the project’s construction cost. But the period may expand as the construction cost has been revised upwards from Rs 5,500 crore to Rs 7,000 crore.

Around 49,000 vehicles are expected to use BVSL daily, once it is made operational in 2023. The pre-construction activity commenced last week.

The Bandra-Versova Sea Link is part of the state government’s ambitious coastal road project to connect south Mumbai with western suburbs. MSRDC will fund the project with loans from domestic and international banks.

While the road distance between Bandra and Versova is around 12.5 km, the sea link is 17 km long, considering there are three connectors at Bandra, Versova and Juhu.

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The toll that light commercial vehicles will be charged between Bandra and Versova has been set at Rs 380, which is around Rs 30 per kilometre.

MSRDC officials said levying of toll is crucial to make the project financially viable. But this contradicts the state government’s plan of making Maharahstra toll-free.