Bengaluru may get phased restrictions on entry-exit timings of heavy vehicles
Bengaluru is likely to witness a major traffic management overhaul, as the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has proposed categorising heavy and medium vehicles into five
Bengaluru is likely to witness a major traffic management overhaul, as the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has proposed categorising heavy and medium vehicles into five categories to impose phased restrictions on the entry-exit timings and the movement of such vehicles within the city. The proposal includes several major changes, including restricting All India Permit (AIP) private buses operating inter-State from entering the city between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and a complete restriction on heavy vehicles weighing over 16 tonnes. The move, according to a BTP study, is expected to increase the average speed of vehicles in the city by at least 2 kmph. According to the TomTom Traffic Index, the average speed in Bengaluru was 14 km/h in 2025. However, the primary objective of the move is to decongest the city by reducing slow-moving traffic and lowering the risk of accidents, an approach that urban planners have hailed as a “passenger traffic-first” model. New heavy vehicles regime According to BTP sources, cargo and heavy vehicles would be categorised into five types: heavy vehicles above 16 tonnes, heavy vehicles between 8 and 16 tonnes, mid-sized goods vehicles, other slow-moving vehicles such as tractors, carts and small goods vehicles, and AIP buses.
The sources said that AIP buses would be restricted from entering the city between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. As a result, private travel operators would have to make alternative arrangements, such as operating shuttle buses to transport passengers from their designated base points. In addition, vehicles weighing more than 16 tonnes would be completely barred from operating within the city, meaning operators would have to establish transhipment points outside the city. Vehicles weighing between 8 tonnes and 16 tonnes would be restricted from entering the city between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Mid-sized goods vehicles would be barred from operating during peak hours. Other slow-moving vehicles would face restrictions on entering certain stretches, including the Central Business District. However, the rule won’t apply to trucks carrying essential commodities. Current model Once implemented, the order will override the 2014 directive issued by the then police commissioner M.N. Reddi. At present, the BTP follows the order, which restricts only heavy vehicles from entering the city during the morning and evening peak hours, while mid-sized vehicles are allowed to ply throughout the day. However, the city has undergone significant changes since then.
The BriefWire