Be prepared to loosen your pockets if your vehicle breaks down on the Noida Expressway. In an attempt to control the persistent traffic congestion on the expressway, Noida Traffic Police has officially designated it as a ‘breakdown challan’ zone. Around 8-10 lakh vehicles use the Noida Expressway on a daily basis which leads to severe traffic congestion.
The Noida Expressway is a key lifeline for daily commuters in the National Capital Region (NCR) connecting Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway. The new rule will allow the traffic police to issue heavy fines and even seize vehicles that break down and obstruct traffic flow on the expressway.
Noida Expressway: A breakdown challan zone?
Areas like DND Flyover, Chilla Border, and Prerna Sthal are the main hotspots where traffic-related issues emerge the most. Penalties ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 can be imposed under the new rule, for causing obstructions under Section 201 of the Motor Vehicles Act. As of now, this new rule only targets commercial vehicles including buses, trucks, DCM, overloading vehicles, etc. For now, passenger vehicle owners should not worry about this rule.
In an interaction with PTI, Lakhan Singh Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) said that the aim is to raise awareness among commercial vehicle owners to keep a check on their vehicles and traffic snarls could be avoided. “In the last seven days, we have seized 22 vehicles for breakdowns and around 210 vehicles were also issued challans,” the DCP said.
The DCP revealed that the expressway is monitored 24/7 via Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) cameras and manual patrols. The administration has set up 30 traffic points along the 25-kilometer stretch. A breakdown response team will be dispatched within 10 minutes with dedicated towing vehicles.
Speed limit reduced on expressways
The new regulations take effect approximately two months after officials introduced revised speed limits for both light and heavy vehicles on the Yamuna Expressway and the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. On the Yamuna Expressway, the speed limit for light vehicles has been lowered from 100 kmph to 75 kmph, while for heavy vehicles, it has been reduced from 80 km\ph to 60 kmph.
Similarly, on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, the speed limit for light vehicles has been decreased from 100 kmph to 75 kmph, and for heavy vehicles, it has been reduced from 60 kmph to 50 kmph.These revised speed limits will remain in effect until 15 February, 2025, covering the peak winter months when road conditions are often deemed hazardous.
With inputs from PTI
