The four-day toll waiver for the longer route of Mumbai-Pune Expressway via Pune-Kolhapur national highway to Konkan will help festive commuters save money and also avoid the congested and mishap-prone Mumbai-Goa highway that is undergoing lane expansion.With a little over Rs 1,000 toll waiver for motorists, it is more economical for them to travel another 100 km more by using the alternate and safer route, save fuel cost and avoid the potholed ridden Mumbai-Goa highway that is not in good shape.Lakhs of devotees visit their native homes during Ganesh Chaturthi from Monday to Thursday and drive back after the festival is over.In view of the fuel price hike, the state government has decided to provide toll relief for four days instead of three days given last year at five toll points. PWD minister and minister of state for home had a joint meeting last year and the state government had announced the toll waiver, said superintendent of police, Vijay Patil (Highway traffic police). Patil added that the alternate routes via the Pune Expressway cover longer distances as in Hathkhamba and Chiplun in Ratnagiri district, but as one drives southwards towards Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg, the difference of the distance travelled by Mumbai-Goa highway and the Expressway decreases.

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