EV owners still pay toll on Bandra-Worli Sea Link despite Maharashtra exemptions

The toll booth at Bandra-Worli Sea Link. File Pic/Ashish Raje

Despite Maharashtra's push to encourage electric vehicles (EVs) through toll exemptions, owners continue to pay the R100 toll every time they use the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL), one of Mumbai's busiest road links.

While EVs enjoy toll exemptions on the Atal Setu, Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Samruddhi Mahamarg, the benefit has not been extended to the Sea Link. EV owners and transport experts say the selective implementation defeats the policy's objective of encouraging cleaner mobility, while the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) maintains that BWSL is not part of the government's exemption list.

EV toll-free on

>> Atal Setu
>> Mumbai-Pune Expressway
>> Samruddhi Mahamarg

EV toll still applicable on
>> Bandra-Worli Sea Link

Vehicles approach toll booths of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. File Pic/Ashish Raje

Activists write to CM

Godfrey Pimenta, Trustee, Watchdog Foundation
Pimenta said he wrote to the chief minister around two weeks ago seeking implementation of the exemption on the Sea Link. The representation has been forwarded to PWD Roads Secretary Sharad Rajbhoj.

From the letter
"The continued collection of toll from electric vehicles defeats the very objective of promoting green mobility... Citizens who invested in EVs relying on government incentives should not be deprived of the benefits promised to them."

What MSRDC says

An MSRDC official confirmed that EVs are not exempt from paying toll on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
‘As per the government's EV policy, toll exemption is available only on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Samruddhi Expressway and Atal Setu. The Sea Link is not part of the exemption list.'

What's next?

A Government Resolution dated May 23, 2026, states: "The decision regarding phased toll waiver for electric vehicles on other state highways under the Public Works Department will be taken by the Steering Committee headed by the Chief Secretary."

Why EV owners are upset

Owners say the exemption is missing from one of Mumbai's most frequently used roads.

Voice of an EV owner

Paul Creado, 48, Juhu
‘I bought an EV in 2026 and I have been to the Atal Setu, Samruddhi and Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The exemption applies there but not on the Sea Link. It's not about paying R150. If the govt has announced a policy to promote EVs, why exclude one of Mumbai's most important roads? People who invested in EVs believing government promises should receive the benefits.

Experts divided

Nitin Dossa, President, Western India Automobile Association
‘This is a common grievance among EV owners. First of all why charge at all for the Bandra-Worli Sea Link which is within the city and if the government has chosen to promote EVs, the exemption should apply to the Bandra-Worli Sea Link too. We had to protest before EVs were exempted at Atal Setu.'

Ashok Datar, Transport expert and Chairman, Mumbai Environmental Social Network
‘Limiting exemptions to a few projects defeats the purpose of promoting EV adoption. The policy should eventually cover all toll roads. The government should also consider incentives for buses, which offer even greater environmental benefits.'

Anonymous, a transport expert
‘The exemption may have been built into the financial planning of newer infrastructure projects but not older ones. When these incentives were introduced, they largely applied to new projects. Toll calculations and projected revenue for older projects such as the Sea Link may not have factored in EV exemptions, making it difficult for the government to extend the benefit retrospectively.'

Rs 150
Current BWSL toll for cars per return trip