The Bengaluru Traffic Police have proposed sweeping restrictions on heavy vehicles and private buses to reduce congestion and improve road safety. The draft plan includes a 14-hour daytime entry ban for several vehicle categories, a permanent ban on trucks above 16 tonnes and peak-hour restrictions for medium goods vehicles.
To tackle Bengaluru’s growing traffic congestion and improve road safety, the Bengaluru Traffic Police (BTP) have proposed a major new traffic management plan. The proposal focuses on reducing the number of heavy and medium-sized vehicles on city roads during the day. Under the draft plan, these vehicles, along with private buses, will be divided into five categories, with some facing restrictions of up to 14 hours every day.
Heavy Vehicles Divided into Five Categories
The proposed policy classifies vehicles into the following five groups::
- Super heavy vehicles weighing over 16 tonnes.
- Heavy vehicles weighing between 8 and 16 tonnes.
- Medium-sized goods transport vehicles.
- Slow-moving vehicles like tractors, bullock carts, handcarts and small goods carriers.
- Private buses that have an All India Permit (AIP).
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Private buses and heavy trucks may face strict restrictions!
Crackdown on Private Buses: One of the biggest changes in the proposal is a complete ban on private buses with an All India Permit from entering Bengaluru between 8 AM and 10 PM.
If implemented, private bus operators will have to drop passengers at designated locations on the outskirts of the city. Separate shuttle services will then be required to transport passengers into Bengaluru.
Permanent Ban for Vehicles Over 16 Tonnes: The proposal also recommends a permanent ban on vehicles weighing more than 16 tonnes from entering city roads. These heavy trucks would instead unload their goods at transshipment hubs outside the city, where smaller vehicles would take over deliveries.
Vehicles Weighing 8 to 16 Tonnes: Vehicles weighing between 8 and 16 tonnes may not be allowed to enter the city between 7 AM and 10 PM.
Medium and Slow-Moving Vehicles: Medium-sized goods vehicles will face stricter restrictions during peak traffic hours, while slow-moving vehicles such as tractors, bullock carts and handcarts may be barred from major roads, especially within the Central Business District (CBD).
Essential Goods are Exempt: However, vehicles carrying essential goods such as milk and vegetables will be exempt from these restrictions.
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Why the rules are being changed
The current traffic restrictions were introduced in 2014 under the then Bengaluru Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi.
At that time, only heavy vehicles faced restrictions during morning and evening peak hours, while medium-sized commercial vehicles were allowed throughout the day.
Since then, Bengaluru’s registered vehicle population has nearly doubled, from around 60 lakh in 2015 to nearly 1.2 crore today, while road infrastructure has not expanded at the same pace. Traffic police believe the existing rules are no longer enough to manage the city’s growing congestion.
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Faster traffic is the goal
According to the 2025 TomTom Traffic Index, vehicles in Bengaluru moved at an average speed of just 14 km/h.
Traffic police estimate that removing slow-moving heavy vehicles from busy roads could increase the city’s average travel speed by at least 2 km/h.
Before preparing the proposal, officials studied Hyderabad’s traffic management model introduced in 2024, along with practices followed in several other Indian and international cities.
Before the proposal is finalised, Bengaluru Traffic Police will hold stakeholder consultations with transport associations, businesses and members of the public. The final policy will be prepared after considering their feedback.
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