Mysore/Mysuru: All the jurisdictional Police Stations that fall along the Mysuru-Bengaluru Expressway began enforcing the ban on two-wheelers, three-wheelers, agricultural vehicles such as tractors and cycles from this morning.

Interestingly, seeing the large presence of Police on the road near Manipal Hospital Junction towards Bengaluru, many two-wheelers and autos thought that the Police had begun levying fines for traffic violations. Bikes (with helmet-less riders) tried to take a U-turn right in the middle of the road and at the Circle.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime and Traffic) S. Jahnavi, who was at the spot, however, told the motorists that they are just creating awareness on the ban on some category vehicles on the Expressway and they need not panic. 

The entry ban has been clamped by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) from Aug. 1 (today) on six categories of vehicles from using the Expressway. This prohibition has been enforced under the authority granted by Section 35 of The Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002.

The restrictions are enforced from the two points of the Expressway at Panchamukhi Temple near Kengeri in Bengaluru and the Manipal Hospital Junction (Kempegowda Circle) in Mysuru, one of the meeting points of the Mysuru Ring Road.

The banned vehicles include motorcycles (including scooters and other two-wheelers), three-wheelers (including autorickshaws, e-carts, e-rickshaws), non-motorised vehicles, tractors (with or without trailers), multi-axle hydraulic trailer vehicles and quadri-cycles.

While the Narasimharaja Traffic Police led by Inspector Suresh Kumar enforced the rule at the Kempegowda Circle, Sub-Inspector Nataraj was enforcing the rule at Kalasthawadi Junction. All the vehicles that have been banned were asked to use the service roads. Suresh Kumar told Star of Mysore that penalties will not be imposed for a few days as this system is new.

“First, we will create awareness among the motorists on the ban as till now, they have been using the Expressway and a sudden clampdown is difficult and will burden the motorists. However, penalties will be imposed in a week or so,” he said.

Like in Mysuru, jurisdictional Police in Srirangapatna, Mandya, Maddur, Channapatna, Ramanagara and Bidadi are enforcing the ban in their Police Station limits. DCP Jahnavi visited the entrance of Expressway and supervised the ban enforcement.