For smooth traffic and to reduce accidents, heavy and medium vehicles are banned in Noida and G Noida

The Gautam Budh Nagar traffic police have restricted the entry of heavy and medium goods vehicles, autos, e-rickshaws, passenger vehicles, tractors, bullock carts, and pulling rickshaws on key routes in Noida and Greater Noida, including the Noida expressway from June 18. The move aims to streamline traffic during peak hours and minimise road accidents, said police officers with knowledge of the development, adding that this restriction, enforced under Section 31 of the 1861 Police Act, was designed to maintain order on the road.

The traffic police is running a 15-day campaign, “Discipline on Road-2,” to reduce road accidents. Within two days of the start of the campaign, they booked 5,260 traffic violators.

“The entry restrictions will be enforced from 7am to 11 am and 5pm to 10pm. Essential vehicles, such as those carrying LNG, CNG, petroleum products, vehicles linked with the Food Corporation of India, milk, Noida authority vehicles, and vehicles associated with education departments, will be exempted from these restrictions,” said a senior police officer.

However, industry leaders criticised the order, asserting that the city is primarily industrial. “Noida is an industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh, not residential, so authorities should take decisions in the industry’s interest,” said JS Rana, chairman of the Indian Industries Association.

He said the police should propose an alternative route for heavy and medium vehicles before implementing such measures to prevent business losses.

“Banning the entry of heavy and medium vehicles runs counter to the ease of doing business,” said industrialist SK Maheshwari. He suggested that the traffic police should instead focus on removing encroachments and fining vehicles parked in no-parking zones.

Deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) Preeti Yadav said the decision aims to ease traffic flow on the Noida-Greater Noida expressway. She cited the high frequency of heavy and medium goods vehicles causing congestion on the expressway during peak hours. Since Delhi has already banned the entry of heavy goods vehicles from 7am to 10pm, this ban effectively extends that restriction, she added.

DCP Yadav added that heavy goods vehicles would be halted at nine significant points, including the service road on expressway zero-point, near Sector 94, Noida to the post-mortem house, the service road in the industrial area, near Surajpur Marg service road, the border of New Ashok Nagar, the DND limit, the Kalindi border, and the Model Town border in Ghaziabad.

“Slow movement of auto-rickshaws, Sawari Magic, tractors, bullock carts, pulling rickshaws, and e-rickshaws on both sides of the main road from Sector-14A flyover to Pari Chowk on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway is strictly prohibited,” said DCP Yadav. She added that these vehicles are barred from entering Noida, Greater Noida expressway, Kalindi Kunj, DND Flyway, Film City Road, and other city parts.

“All heavy, medium, and passenger vehicles are prohibited from entering from Attapir Chowk to Atta Market and Sector 38A. These vehicles can take alternative routes via the car market, and vehicles coming from Atta Market can U-turn under the Film City flyover. The traffic police will take appropriate action against any banned vehicle spotted on restricted roads between 7am and 10pm,” said a traffic official.