Vehicles restricted on DME’s Meerut-Gzb stretch ahead of Dak Kanwar

Ghaziabad: The Meerut-Ghaziabad side of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) has been reserved for Dak Kanwariyas and restricted for all other vehicles, traffic police officials said

Ghaziabad: The Meerut-Ghaziabad side of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) has been reserved for Dak Kanwariyas and restricted for all other vehicles, traffic police officials said.

The Meerut to Ghaziabad (Dasna) stretch of the DME is roughly 32-km long, while the (Dasna) Ghaziabad-UP Gate stretch is another 18km. (Sakib Ali / HT)

“The restrictions will start late Saturday or Sunday morning. The Meerut-Ghaziabad carriageway up to UP-Gate (near east Delhi) will be reserved for Dak Kanwars returning from Meerut. Once the restrictions take effect, no other vehicles will be allowed to ply until August 11,” Ghaziabad deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Trigun Bisen told HT.

The Meerut to Ghaziabad (Dasna) stretch of the DME is roughly 32-km long, while the (Dasna) Ghaziabad-UP Gate stretch is another 18km.

Bisen added that vehicles en route from Meerut to Ghaziabad or Delhi will use NH-9.

“The Delhi-Meerut stretch of the expressway will remain open for light vehicles like cars, but light commercial vehicles will not be allowed to proceed towards Meerut. Such vehicles coming from Delhi will exit at Dasna and take NH-9 towards Hapur and Meerut,” the DCP added.

The traffic police have already restricted the movement of heavy commercial vehicles on the DME since July 29.

As the annual Kanwar Yatra is under way, a large number of devotees have started returning to Ghaziabad from Uttarakhand.

Earlier on July 24, the traffic police issued a comprehensive traffic diversion plan, restricting vehicular movement on the DME from August 7-12.

The officials, however, put the restrictions on hold until the movement of Dak Kanwars.

The DCP added that once the restrictions for light vehicles are put in place starting Sunday, motorists from Meerut, Ghaziabad, and Noida can take NH-9 or the Kaushambi-Anand Vihar border to reach Delhi.

Since August 3, the traffic police have already closed down the Meerut-Ghaziabad carriageway of the Delhi-Meerut Road (former NH-58), and it is used only for the movement of Kanwariyas arriving from Meerut.

The Ghaziabad-Meerut carriageway of the Delhi Meerut Road is presently used by light vehicles and two-wheelers for moving to Meerut from Ghaziabad or arriving in Ghaziabad from Meerut.