During the Ganesh festival, authorities in Maharashtra have announced restrictions on heavy vehicles along the Mumbai-Goa National Highway (NH-66) to manage traffic congestion and ensure smoother travel for devotees heading to Konkan and Goa. Panvel Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Nilesh Dhote stated that vehicles weighing more than 16 tons, including trucks, lorries, trailers, and multi-axle vehicles, will not be allowed to operate on specific dates.
The ban will be enforced from August 23 (00:01 hrs) to August 28 (23:00 hrs), on August 31 (08:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs), on September 2 (08:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs), and from September 6 (08:00 hrs) to September 7 (20:00 hrs). This decision comes in anticipation of large crowds traveling from Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Dombivli, and Vasai, which often results in long traffic snarls along both the Pune and Konkan routes. By restricting heavy vehicles, authorities aim to reduce congestion and ensure safer, faster travel for festival-goers.
Certain vehicles will be exempted from the ban to maintain essential services and logistics. These include vehicles transporting milk, fuel, LPG cylinders, medicines, liquid medical oxygen, food grains, vegetables, and other perishable goods. Import-export cargo from JNPT and Jaigarh ports will also be allowed. Additionally, vehicles engaged in road widening or repair work on NH-66 can continue operations after obtaining special entry passes from the Transport Department or Highway Police.