Thane Traffic Police have banned the entry of six-wheelers and other heavy vehicles on the Kalwa-Vitawa section of the Thane-Belapur route between 7 am and 10 pm, in a move aimed at easing recurring congestion and reducing accident risks on the narrow corridor. Light vehicles and passenger vehicles are exempt from the restriction.
The restriction covers heavy and oversized vehicles travelling between Thane, Kalwa, Vitawa and Navi Mumbai. According to the notification reported by Loksatta, vehicles travelling from Navi Mumbai towards Kalwa and Thane will be stopped at Vitawa octroi naka and diverted through Patni and Airoli.
Heavy vehicles travelling from Thane city through Kalwa towards Navi Mumbai will face a restriction near the Rabodi traffic unit office. These vehicles will instead be required to use the Kharigaon toll naka and Shilphata route. Vehicles approaching Kalwa city through Parsik Chowk will be stopped at Parsik Chowk and diverted through the Mumbra bypass.
The Thane-Belapur route carries thousands of vehicles towards Navi Mumbai. The Kalwa and Vitawa sections are described in the report as narrow and uneven, conditions that contribute to traffic jams and accidents. The corridor also serves Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, a Thane Municipal Corporation facility, meaning that congestion affects patients and their relatives travelling to and from the hospital.
The traffic police have introduced the restriction in response to repeated congestion on the route. The specified operating window covers most daytime and evening travel, from 7 am until 10 pm, while the notification does not impose the same restriction on light and passenger vehicles.
The effectiveness of the measure will depend on whether heavy vehicles follow the designated diversions and whether traffic remains manageable at the enforcement points and alternative routes. The notification identifies Vitawa octroi naka, the Rabodi traffic unit office and Parsik Chowk as the points where heavy vehicles entering the restricted stretches will be stopped.
For vehicles travelling between Thane and Navi Mumbai, the order changes the route available to heavy-vehicle operators during the restricted hours. The traffic police’s announced diversions are Patni-Airoli for vehicles approaching from Navi Mumbai, Kharigaon toll naka-Shilphata for vehicles travelling from Thane towards Navi Mumbai, and the Mumbra bypass for vehicles approaching Kalwa through Parsik Chowk.
