Kolhapur: In response to a major increase in large vehicles on city streets, the local traffic police have announced new nighttime travel rules for all trucks, tractors, and bullock carts carrying sugarcane. These rules will be in effect for the upcoming 2025-26 harvesting season, reports The Times of India.
The police branch stated that the growing number of these large vehicles is causing significant traffic jams and increasing the danger of accidents during the day. To address this, all sugarcane transport will now be restricted to the hours between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM, starting from the night of November 3rd. Daytime travel on city roads for these vehicles is prohibited.
A traffic police official, Inspector Nandkumar More, explained the reasoning behind the decision. “Our main focus is to maintain safe and orderly traffic flow for everyone in the city, while also making sure the sugar mills receive their necessary supply,” he said.
The new guidelines also specify exact routes for vehicles heading to the Rajaram Sugar Factory. For instance, trucks approaching from one direction must use a designated path that passes through several major city junctions, while vehicles coming from other areas must follow a different set of roads to reach the factory.
For all other sugar mills, transport vehicles must use the city’s outer ring roads and are completely banned from inner city streets. The police also warned that vehicles must have reflective panels on the back, should not be overloaded, and will face penalties if they are found playing music on loudspeakers. These measures will remain in place until the end of the crushing season.
