Union minister Nitin Gadkari asks Delhi Police to ‘strictly enforce’ ban on 2 & 3 wheelers on high-speed corridors

NEW DELHI: Concerned over unabated violation of traffic rules by two and three-wheelers entering the main carriageway of expressways and access-controlled stretches in Delhi-NCR, Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has asked the Delhi Police to “strictly enforce” the ban on such vehicles on high-speed corridors.Gadkari has also directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to remove hoardings and illegal advertisements on national highways and expressways, as these can distract drivers and become the cause of a crash.The issues had come up for discussion at a meeting chaired by Gadkari and attended by Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena and CM Rekha Gupta on June 4.As per the minutes of the meeting issued this week, NHAI and highway ministry officials highlighted that the entry of two and three-wheelers has been prohibited on the main carriageway of the Badarpur Elevated Highway as per a Feb 16 notification.

Similarly, a Jan 2021 notification prohibits these vehicles on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.Similarly, a notification was issued in Jan 2024 prohibiting these vehicles on UER-II, Delhi-Gurgaon and Dwarka expressways. “The traffic police were instructed to ensure strict enforcement of these restrictions across all these stretches,” reads the minutes of the meeting.Gadkari’s direction comes amid growing concerns over crashes caused by the unauthorised entry of these vehicles. Officials said, despite signage and regulations, enforcement has been lax, leading to widespread disregard for rules. “The minister had said that maintaining discipline on high-speed roads is crucial for reducing road crashes and ensuring smooth traffic flow. Only the fear of getting caught every time for violations can be a deterrent and police have to enforce this,” said a highway ministry official.TOI last week had highlighted how almost 63% of traffic rule violations on Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and the newly opened Dwarka Expressway were due to illegal entry of two and three-wheelers on these access-controlled stretches.