Mumbai Imposes Ban on Heavy Vehicles at Dahisar Toll Plaza During Peak Hours
In an effort to ease mounting traffic congestion, Mumbai’s Dahisar toll plaza will now prohibit heavy vehicles from entering the city during the morning rush hours. The new restriction, enforced by the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar (MBVV) traffic police, will be in effect from 8:00 am to 11:30 am daily.
This ban targets trucks, trailers, multi-axle vehicles, and all inter-state and inter-district buses. The restriction will specifically apply to vehicles approaching Mumbai from the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway and Thane. The MBVV traffic police’s decision follows a similar measure imposed by Mumbai traffic authorities in June 2022. The initial attempt to limit heavy vehicle movement during both morning and evening peak hours was not fully successful due to enforcement challenges. Consequently, the traffic police decided to block south-bound heavy vehicles from entering Mumbai at Dahisar itself, before they could proceed into the city.
Heavy vehicles had been creating significant bottlenecks at the Dahisar toll plaza, leading to long queues that also affected smaller vehicles, including ambulances, emergency service vehicles, and VIP convoys. The disruption had reached a point where it posed a potential law and order issue, as noted by Suhas Bavche, Deputy Commissioner of Police, MBVV. To address these concerns, the traffic police have imposed this new restriction, which will help streamline traffic flow and reduce delays, particularly for emergency vehicles and smaller cars. The ban will not apply to essential services, such as police vehicles, ambulances, fire tenders, and other vehicles permitted by local authorities or the National Highways Authority of India. School buses, vegetable transport vehicles, and certain vehicles authorized by district magistrates will also be exempt.
In addition to the new ban at the Dahisar toll plaza, the MBVV traffic police are taking further steps to improve road safety and traffic management. Motorists will no longer be allowed to park on the Versova bridge, a popular selfie spot that has become a traffic hazard. The new “no-parking” rule will apply to both north-bound and south-bound traffic on the bridge, located on the Ghodbunder Road junction between Mira Road and Bhayandar. With these new measures, the MBVV traffic police hope to significantly reduce traffic snarls and ensure smoother commuting for all road users in the area.
