Motorists refunded extra Rs 60 charged for e-toll stickers

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Entry Point Limited (MEPL) on Saturday decided to withdraw and refund the additional levy of Rs 60 it was collecting from motorists for providing e-stickers.
The decision to refund the Rs 60 is not just limited to motorists passing the check naka at Mulund on the Eastern Express Highway but also at two other check nakas at Airoli and Vashi.
MEPL’s chief general manager at Mulund Santosh Mayekar said the firm has taken this decision as it does not want to inconvenience customers. “The Rs 60 being collected was only a deposit. It was part of the company’s plan to introduce the electronic toll collection system wherein motorists holding monthly pass would later be issued smart cards. Some customers told us that the additional levy is causing inconvenience, so we decided to withdraw it,” said Mayekar.
The MEPL decision comes a day after TOI reported about motorists questioning the legality of MEPL’s decision to charge Rs 60 more when they had already paid Rs 100 for the same e-sticker. MEPL has now started refunding the additional Rs 60 to such motorists who had earlier paid Rs 100 for the e-sticker. MEPL will go by the records it has of motorists who bought the e-sticker on payment of Rs 100. Following TOI’s report, the local BJP unit, led by ex-MLA Sanjay Kelkar, on Saturday called on officials of MEPL, state PWD and MSRDC, threatening them of a protest if the additional sum was not withdrawn. Kelkar said the extra amount demanded from motorists was illogical. “It is not the motorists’ fault that the system failed to start,” he said.
R Ramesh, CEO of Art of Living Foundation who had raised the issue, is elated. “I got my refund of Rs 60 when I bought the pass for June,” said Ramesh.