PUNE: The first day of the ban on heavy vehicle movement on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass turned out to be smooth and effective, with no major traffic jams reported Wednesday morning.
Under the new schedule, heavy vehicles are not allowed to travel towards Mumbai from Satara between 8 am and 11 am; and towards Satara from Mumbai between 5 pm and 9 pm. The ban was strictly implemented along key points including Navale bridge, Mutha River bridge, Warje bridge, Hinjewadi and Tathawade, all of which are known for traffic snarls.
Teams from Pune city police, Pimpri-Chinchwad police, and the State Highway Safety Patrol (HSP) were deployed along the bypass to stop heavy vehicles and redirect them to designated parking areas. Wednesday morning saw very few trucks headed towards Mumbai. Trucks and multi-axle vehicles were parked at open spaces in Satara district, Khed-Shivapur, and the New Katraj Ghat section; whereas those travelling towards Satara were stopped at Urse, Somatne, and nearby areas on both the expressway and old highway.
A police officer deployed on the bypass said, “Most of the truck drivers were already aware of the restriction. They willingly left the bypass after being informed by the police. However, a few trucks in the first lane could not be stopped in time and continued ahead towards Kiwale.”
{{/usCountry}}A police officer deployed on the bypass said, “Most of the truck drivers were already aware of the restriction. They willingly left the bypass after being informed by the police. However, a few trucks in the first lane could not be stopped in time and continued ahead towards Kiwale.”
{{/usCountry}}Additional commissioner of police Manoj Patil said that the results were encouraging on the very first day. “The light motor vehicles and passenger cars could travel from Katraj to Kiwale in just 22 minutes Wednesday morning. Usually, this journey takes over one-hour-and-twenty minutes due to heavy traffic at multiple spots,” he said.
However, the evening session faced a minor setback when a truck broke down near Warje bridge, causing temporary traffic congestion. “A truck breakdown disrupted movement for some time in the evening but overall, vehicles could still move at a reasonable speed,” said Patil.
The decision to restrict heavy vehicles during peak hours was taken jointly by the district collector’s office and police authorities. The main objective is to ease traffic for information technology (IT) professionals working at Hinjewadi IT Park who often face long delays while commuting to and from work. The restriction also aims to reduce the number of accidents on the bypass stretch, which is part of the busy Mumbai–Bengaluru highway.
Meanwhile, citizens welcomed the move and expressed hope that the rule would continue. Ranjeet Mujumle, a Hinjewadi-based software engineer, said, “Usually it takes me almost two hours to reach my office from Katraj, but today I reached in less than half an hour. It’s a big relief for daily commuters like us. I hope this ban stays in place permanently.”