Bengaluru is likely to witness a major traffic management overhaul, as the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) has proposed categorising heavy and medium vehicles into five categories to impose phased restrictions on the entry-exit timings and the movement of such vehicles within the city.

The proposal includes several major changes, including restricting All India Permit (AIP) private buses operating inter-State from entering the city between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., and a complete restriction on heavy vehicles weighing over 16 tonnes.

The move, according to a BTP study, is expected to increase the average speed of vehicles in the city by at least 2 kmph.

According to the TomTom Traffic Index, the average speed in Bengaluru was 14 km/h in 2025. However, the primary objective of the move is to decongest the city by reducing slow-moving traffic and lowering the risk of accidents, an approach that urban planners have hailed as a “passenger traffic-first” model.

According to BTP sources, cargo and heavy vehicles would be categorised into five types: heavy vehicles above 16 tonnes, heavy vehicles between 8 and 16 tonnes, mid-sized goods vehicles, other slow-moving vehicles such as tractors, carts and small goods vehicles, and AIP buses.

The sources said that AIP buses would be restricted from entering the city between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. As a result, private travel operators would have to make alternative arrangements, such as operating shuttle buses to transport passengers from their designated base points.

In addition, vehicles weighing more than 16 tonnes would be completely barred from operating within the city, meaning operators would have to establish transhipment points outside the city.

Vehicles weighing between 8 tonnes and 16 tonnes would be restricted from entering the city between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Mid-sized goods vehicles would be barred from operating during peak hours. Other slow-moving vehicles would face restrictions on entering certain stretches, including the Central Business District. However, the rule won’t apply to trucks carrying essential commodities.

Once implemented, the order will override the 2014 directive issued by the then police commissioner M.N. Reddi. At present, the BTP follows the order, which restricts only heavy vehicles from entering the city during the morning and evening peak hours, while mid-sized vehicles are allowed to ply throughout the day. However, the city has undergone significant changes since then.

For instance, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has, on multiple occasions while defending his flagship infrastructure projects such as the Tunnel Road, said that the number of vehicles in Bengaluru has increased from 60 lakh in 2015 to 1.2 crore, while the city’s infrastructure has largely remained stagnant.

A BTP source explained that heavy vehicles, which move slowly, contribute significantly to congestion, especially at junctions where lane discipline is almost non-existent. Restricting such vehicles would not only create more road space for passenger vehicles but would also be expected to improve average travel speeds.

The current proposal is modelled on the system adopted in Hyderabad, which led to a major traffic overhaul in 2024. BTP sources said that the department extensively studied traffic management models from across the country as well as international cities to understand what would best suit Bengaluru.

The BTP is also likely to convene a stakeholders’ meeting soon to brief them on the proposal and incorporate any feasible changes before implementation.

V. Ravichandar, a member of the Brand Bengaluru Committee, welcomed the proposal, describing it as a desirable move based on the premise that passenger traffic should take precedence over cargo traffic. However, he stressed that the establishment of transhipment points outside the city for heavy vehicles must be discussed with the logistics sector before the proposal is implemented.

“The city needs such experimentation at this point, when there are limited infrastructure options. Calibration may be necessary in the future, and it can be accomplished,” he said.

Meanwhile, G.R. Shanmugappa, president of the Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners and Agents Association, opposed the move, saying it would increase logistics costs, ultimately driving up prices for consumers if the proposal is implemented.

“If trucks above 16 tonnes are restricted from entering the city, then more than four smaller trucks will have to transport the goods into the city, which will further increase traffic. This is not a scientific approach to dealing with congestion,” he said. He added that the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) should instead ensure stricter parking enforcement and the removal of abandoned vehicles to improve traffic flow.

Published - July 15, 2026 06:01 am IST