Soon, heavy vehicles may go off roads during morning peak hours

The Bengaluru traffic police are all set to issue a fresh notification restricting the movement of heavy vehicles in the City between 6 am and 10 am.

The traffic police and the transport department have for long failed to implement the existing rules of keeping heavy vehicles off the roads during the day.

The lorry owners associations are already seeing a problem over the implementation of the rule which prohibits movement of heavy vehicles weighing above three tonnes in the day time. However, when implemented, the rule would come as a relief to the commuters.

Only heavy vehicles that ferry essential goods such as milk and vegetables will be allowed. The traffic police have done an extensive study not only on the City roads, but also studied models in cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai and some international cities.

They have finished the ground work, especially on the outskirts, to create check points so as to facilitate stopping of the entry of vehicles there.

B Dayananda, Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic), told Deccan Herald, “There have been similar rules in the City, but only in some specific areas and on particular roads. As there was no uniformity in the timings, we wanted to have a consolidated approach. Regarding concerns of lorry owners’ associations, we have had discussions with their representatives. Their concerns will be addressed”.

Single-window agency

The traffic police will set up a single-window agency under the department, which will have a committee to give temporary permissions in case of an emergency.
The police will introduce bar-coded stickers for the purpose so that the temporary permissions are not misused, Dayananda said.

Transporters unhappy

B Chenna Reddy, president of the lorry owners’ association, said, “It will certainly create problems if the rule is implemented. The movement of vehicles passing through the City can be restricted. But, how can the movement of vehicles originating from the City be restrained. It needs to be studied thoroughly before any decision is taken,” he said.
DH News Service