Two-wheelers, autos may be banned on Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway: Report

The decision is being taken to avoid accidents as slow-moving vehicles "pose a threat" on the high-speed commute corridor.

The National Highways Authority of India said they will soon ban two-wheelers, auto rickshaws and other slow-moving vehicles from plying on the ambitious Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway. An official from the NHAI said a gazette notification is expected to be issued soon in this matter, Times Now reported.

The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway is a 10-lane project, divided into two carriages. (Twitter/ @nitin_gadkari)

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The decision is being taken to avoid accidents as slow-moving vehicles "pose a threat" on the high-speed commute corridor. "Bikes, autos and other slow-moving vehicles like agricultural tractors are generally not allowed on access-controlled highways, which are meant for the high-speed commute. The rule goes with the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and the gazette notification is likely to be issued soon," the NHAI official told the publication.

The 10-lane expressway has been embroiled in several controversies after toll collection began in mid-March this year, with protests from political parties such as the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular), among other groups against the allegedly high toll fees charged for motorists.

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Amidst all this, the NHAI hiked the toll fees on the completed stretch from Bengaluru to Nidaghatta by 22 to 23 per cent at the beginning of April, saying that the revision is an annual exercise based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

The Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway, inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi last month, is 118 kilometres long and was built at the cost of ₹8,408 crore. It has helped reduce travel time between Bengaluru and Mysuru from 3.5 hours to around 1.5 hours.