The Maharashtra government has announced a toll exemption for vehicles and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses travelling to the Konkan region during Ganeshotsav 2026, in a move intended to ease the annual movement of devotees from Mumbai and other parts of the state
The exemption will be available from September 11 to September 27, covering the main festival travel period. According to an official release reported by PTI, the waiver will apply at toll plazas on the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway 48, the Mumbai-Goa National Highway 66 and other roads leading towards Konkan.
Vehicles travelling to Konkan through the Atal Setu will also be eligible for the toll exemption. The government said the measure was aimed at making travel easier for the large number of people who return to their ancestral villages during Ganeshotsav.
Travellers will need to obtain special stickers or passes carrying the inscription “Ganeshotsav 2026 Konkan Darshan”. The passes will be available at police stations, traffic police posts and Regional Transport Office offices, according to the reported official announcement.
The pass will be valid for both the outward journey to Konkan and the return journey. Travellers have been advised to obtain the required pass before beginning their trip. The announcement does not state in the supplied material whether travellers will need to provide additional documents or follow a separate registration process.
Ganeshotsav is among Maharashtra’s largest annual festivals, and large numbers of residents of Mumbai, Thane, Pune and other parts of the state travel to their native villages in Konkan during the celebration. The seasonal movement produces a significant increase in traffic on roads connecting Mumbai and other urban centres with the region.
The toll exemption will not be restricted to private vehicles. MSRTC buses travelling from different districts of Maharashtra towards Konkan for Ganeshotsav will also be eligible, according to the PTI report. The inclusion of state-run buses extends the measure to passengers using public transport as well as families travelling in private cars.
The exemption will remain in force for 17 days, from September 11 through September 27. The routes listed in the announcement include National Highways 48 and 66, along with the Atal Setu. The government has not provided, in the supplied material, an estimate of the number of vehicles expected to use the exemption or the projected revenue impact of the toll waiver.
The special passes are expected to serve as the operational mechanism for identifying eligible vehicles at toll plazas. Further details on distribution arrangements and enforcement will be handled through the police, traffic police, RTO offices and the agencies operating the relevant toll facilities before the exemption begins.
