Your Space: Ban heavy vehicles during peak hours

Readers suggest steps that authorities should take to ensure that inter-state vehicles follow traffic norms

While the Ring Road project for Pune city is still on paper, heavy vehicles are reported flouting entry norms. Readers suggest steps that authorities should take to ensure that inter-state vehicles follow traffic norms...

A heavy vehicle at Gangadham Chowk on October 12. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Take action against heavy-vehicle drivers

There is a plan to construct a 24-metre-wide and 70-km-long ring road at an estimated cost of ₹1,500 crore. The impediments to the project include land acquisition from private parties, defence and forest departments. The process of acquiring land by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is underway. A survey done by PMC has found that connecting the missing links is possible. There are some farmlands that needs to be acquired by giving compensation. A lack of ring road lets interstate vehicles to flout traffic rules and enter city roads during peak hours. Authorities should take action against interstate vehicle drivers who do not follow traffic norms.

Vaishali Mahale

Ban heavy vehicles during peak hours

The Road Transport Office (RTO) and traffic police must ban entry of heavy vehicles during peak time on the Pune-Mumbai highway (between Katraj and Bhoomkar chowk). Suggested time slots for the ban are — 8:30 am to 10:30 am and 6 pm to 8 pm. Many residents use the highway daily. Heavy vehicles cover the fast lane forcing small vehicles to drive zig-zag to overtake them. The heavy vehicles often race with each other, causing traffic jams. There have been cases of accidents involving heavy vehicles. These vehicles should ideally drive on the left lane. Ban on entry of heavy vehicles during peak hours has been successfully followed in other cities.

Ankit Verma

Truckers defy traffic norms

Commuters face problems related to traffic indiscipline due to overloaded vehicles using roads during peak hours. While the threat is higher on highways, commuters on city roads also have to deal with goods vehicles carrying iron rods, pipes, asbestos sheets and other things protruding outside the body frame. These truckers should not be allowed to carry objects larger than the length of vehicles. The police have been unable to check the menace. Regulations state that any vehicle intending to carry goods bigger than its size needs RTO permit.

Sahil Sahukar

RTO authorities should take steps to check traffic violations

RTO inspectors must check every aspect of safety and other factors, including the vehicle’s size, make, condition, before issuing a permit. However, they mostly perform these checks at highways. However, they cannot effectively check city roads due to manpower issues. These checks must be rigorously carried out and action must be taken against offenders. Heavy vehicles can cause fatal accidents on busy city roads. Ban plying of tractor-trolleys loaded with sugarcane during peak hours. RTO authorities should take steps to check these traffic violations.

Manisha Borkar