Ghaziabad: Kanwar curbs leave trucks stranded on EPE

Ghaziabad: Score of trucks were stranded on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) since Wednesday night after they were unable to exit towards Ghaziabad and Meerut due to Kanwar Yatra traffic diversions

Ghaziabad: Score of trucks were stranded on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) since Wednesday night after they were unable to exit towards Ghaziabad and Meerut due to Kanwar Yatra traffic diversions.

The traffic diversions will remain in place from July 29 to August 12.

The traffic diversions will remain in place from July 29 to August 12. Heavy vehicles are barred from entering the city and are directed to use the NH-9 for onward travel. According to the advisory, vehicles coming toward Ghaziabad on the EPE can only exit using the Dasna interchange.

“I was coming from Bulandshahr on the EPE to reach my transport office in Sahibabad, but traffic police at the Dasna and Duhai interchanges did not allow me to exit due to Kanwar Yatra diversion,” Raj Kumar, a truck driver, told HT on Thursday.

However, the light vehicles such as cars were allowed to use the Duhai interchange.

An HT team on Thursday found about 80-90 trucks near the Duhai interchange, while around 100 at the EPE’s interchange with the Delhi Meerut Expressway (DME).

“I had been waited since 8am on Thursday after coming from Aligarh. I had to deliver goods in Ghaziabad, but I was not allowed to exit at the Dasna interchange. I came to Duhai and went back to the Dasna interchange,but was again stopped,” said Sohan Pal, another truck driver.

Mohammad Ismail, a driver from Nashik in Maharashtra, told HT that he arrived at the EPE stretch in Ghaziabad on Thursday morning.

“The traffic police did not allow me to exit from Duhai or Dasna interchange. We are hoping we will be allowed to exit during the night,” Ismail added.

Responding to complaints, DCP (traffic) Trigun Bisen said the truckers are not permitted to exit at the Duhai interchange, but can use the Dasna interchange. “If any personnel stopped the trucks at Dasna, we will get the matter checked immediately,” the DCP said.

He said authorities in Meerut were also restricting heavy vehicles from the EPE to the DME during the day and may be allowed to exit during the night.

The DCP also directed a traffic inspector to resolve the issue. “Announcements were made to truckers to reach the Dasna interchange. There will be no further hindrance at the exit,” the traffic inspector added.