The Maharashtra Traffic Police has restricted goods vehicles and hazardous-cargo carriers from using the Missing Link route on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, while setting speed limits of 100 kmph for cars and other light motor vehicles and 80 kmph for passenger buses. The new regulations will take effect from November 1, 2026, and remain in force until further orders.
The permanent traffic regulations apply to the tunnels built as part of the Missing Link project. According to a notification issued by the Additional Director General of Police (Traffic), the route will be open only to light motor vehicles, including cars, as well as passenger buses and other passenger vehicles.
All goods-carrying vehicles will be prohibited from using the Missing Link. The restriction includes light commercial vehicles such as pickup trucks and Tata Ace vehicles. These vehicles will have to continue using the existing Mumbai-Pune Expressway route after the new regulations come into force.
Vehicles carrying flammable, explosive or other hazardous materials will also be barred from the route. The traffic department said the restriction is in line with tunnel safety norms and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The notification prescribes a maximum speed of 100 kmph for cars and other light motor vehicles using the Missing Link. Passenger buses and other passenger vehicles will have a maximum permitted speed of 80 kmph. The regulations also state that penal action under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, will not be taken when a vehicle exceeds the prescribed speed limit by up to five per cent.
The speed and vehicle-class rules establish how traffic will be managed through the new tunnel infrastructure rather than allowing the route to function as an unrestricted alternative to the existing expressway. The restrictions are intended to regulate vehicle movement and maintain safer operating conditions inside the tunnels.
The Missing Link project is designed to improve connectivity on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway by providing an alternative route through tunnels and associated infrastructure. Its traffic rules will create different operating conditions for passenger traffic and commercial movement, with goods vehicles continuing to use the existing route.
The traffic department said the regulations aim to maintain traffic discipline and improve safety, particularly within the tunnels. The rules will remain applicable from November 1 until further orders, according to the notification.
