Maharashtra has announced a toll waiver for vehicles travelling to Konkan for Ganeshotsav between September 11 and 27, 2026, offering relief to passengers travelling from Mumbai, Thane, Pune and surrounding areas. The exemption will apply on selected national highways, state-controlled routes and the Atal Setu, according to a Public Works Department circular reported by Loksatta.
The waiver is intended for vehicles carrying devotees and residents travelling to their native places in Konkan for the festival. The eligible routes include the Mumbai–Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48), the Mumbai–Goa National Highway (NH-66), roads under the Maharashtra Public Works Department and the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation, and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri–Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link, commonly known as the Atal Setu.
To claim the exemption, travellers will be issued sticker-style passes carrying the wording “Ganeshotsav 2026 Konkan Darshan”. The pass will include the vehicle registration number and the driver’s name. The government has said that the passes will be made available through police stations, traffic police posts and Regional Transport Office offices, with the police, traffic police and transport authorities coordinating distribution.
The toll waiver will also cover Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses travelling to Konkan with passengers for Ganeshotsav. The relevant passes will be supplied in the concerned districts, allowing eligible state transport buses to use the exemption on the designated routes. The passes will remain valid for the return journey as well.
Every year, a large number of people from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Thane, Pune and other parts of Maharashtra travel towards Konkan during Ganeshotsav. The seasonal movement places additional pressure on highways, toll plazas and approach roads, particularly during the days before the festival and during the return journey. The government’s decision combines a reduction in travel costs with a pass-based system intended to identify eligible vehicles.
The circular directs the police and transport departments to take steps to ensure that information about the toll waiver and the availability of passes reaches travellers. The authorities will therefore be responsible for communicating the procedure, distributing the vehicle-specific passes and coordinating their use at toll points along the designated routes.
The exemption will be in force from September 11 through September 27, covering both the outward journey to Konkan and the return trip. Travellers seeking the benefit will need to obtain the prescribed pass and ensure that the vehicle details and driver information recorded on it correspond to the vehicle being used.
