Over 1.2 lakh motorists stranded in a 32-hour traffic standstill on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway will receive toll refunds amounting to Rs 5.16 crore, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has stated. The prolonged congestion followed the overturning of a propylene gas tanker near Khopoli on February 3, which brought vehicular movement to a halt and left commuters without access to food, water, or essential services.
The refund will apply to toll fees collected on both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the Pune-Bengaluru Highway during the disruption. Although authorities directed toll booths to stop collecting fees immediately after the accident, FASTag deductions reportedly continued at certain plazas until the barriers were manually lifted. The situation triggered public anger and drew criticism from opposition leaders, including MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who called for accountability.
According to MSRDC officials, transaction records have been obtained from IRB Infrastructure, the toll operator for the affected stretch. Impacted motorists will receive automatic reimbursements directly into their FASTag accounts within a week. SMS alerts will notify users once the refund is credited. Commuters will not need to submit any applications to claim the amount.
The episode has led Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order a formal review of the state’s emergency response systems. A seven-member panel has been constituted to examine lapses in handling the crisis and to recommend a structured emergency traffic management framework.
Meanwhile, the state government is expediting work on the 13.3-kilometre Missing Link bypass project, which features twin tunnels and Asia’s tallest cable-stayed bridge. The project, aimed at easing congestion along the accident-prone Lonavala ghat section, is now scheduled for inauguration on May 1 in an effort to prevent similar large-scale traffic disruptions in the future.
Source: Swarajya
