Auto-Rickshaws, Two-Wheelers Banned On Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway. Here’s Why

In June this year, a report compiled by ADGP Alok Kumar revealed that 132 people had lost their lives in around 296 accidents on the hectic expressway since January 2023.

New Delhi: Two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws are among the the six categories of vehicles barred from plying on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway from August 1, as per an order issued by the Karnataka government after over 50 people died in accidents on the busy highway during the recent past.

According to the order, vehicles falling under six categories such as two-wheelers, non-motorised vehicles, three-wheelers, tractors, multi-axle hydraulic trailer vehicles, and quadri-cycles, have been barred entry on the expressway to ensure the safety of commuters. Those caught violating the order will have to pay a fine of Rs 500, it said.

The order has been imposed in accordance with rules set by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the central body had deployed its sleuths on the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway to oversee the implementation of the diktat.

“The ban has been imposed to avoid traffic congestion and ensure the safety of the motorists travelling on the expressway,” the order said.

NHAI, Karnataka Police manning the expressway

As per reports, NHAI and Karnataka Police personnel manned the all the highway’s entry and exit points on Tuesday to prevent the aforementioned class of vehicles from plying.

ADGP Alok Kumar said the Karnataka Police is assisting NHAI in the implementation of the ban order.

“We are diverting bikers, auto-rickshaws and tractors from the carriageway to the service road. We are focusing on the compliance of the ban order by guiding them and persuading them rather than booking cases for violation,” Kumar said, according to an India Today report.

The order comes amid numerous reports of traffic violations on the expressway by two-wheelers and auto rickshaws. The Karnataka government has ordered a safety audit of the highway after over 50 accident-related deaths were recorded since the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway was thrown open on March 12 this year after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

‘Accident den’

In June this year, citing a report compiled by ADGP Alok Kumar, an Indian Express report revealed that 132 people had lost their lives in around 296 accidents on the hectic expressway since January 2023.

The sheer number of fatalities have earned the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway the dubious nickname of “accident den” and made it infamous for reckless driving amid claims of engineering defects being raised from certain quarters.

According to the report, Kumar had asked superintendents of police (SPs) Ramanagara, Mandya, and Mysore districts to submit a detailed report in this regard and as per the officers’ findings, Ramanagara accounted for 63 deaths, Mandya recorded 65, while Mysore reported the lowest with only four deaths between January and June 2023.

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