Belagavi police tighten traffic curbs

Belagavi: In a bid to ease congestion and improve road safety—particularly for school and college students—the Belagavi City police issued fresh traffic orders, including restrictions on heavy vehicles, designated pick-up and drop points for private buses, and stricter enforcement of no-parking zones on key city roads.As per the release issued by the city police commissioner Bhushan Borase, heavy vehicles will not be allowed inside city limits from 7am to 11am and 3pm to 8pm. Police said enforcement action is being taken against violators under Section 177 of the Motor Vehicles Act. In 2025, the city registered 1,001 no-entry violation cases, collecting Rs 4,17,050 in fines.To curb congestion caused by private buses halting at busy junctions such as RTO Circle, Triveni Hotel, Ramdev Hotel, and Dharmaveer Sambhaji Maharaj Circle, the police have fixed new designated pick-up and drop points. From Jan 27, all private buses entering from outside the city must pick up and drop off passengers only at Bharatesh School (pay parking), the space behind Ashoka Nagar (pay parking), and Ashoka Nagar Road from Dharmanath Circle.The police have also enforced stringent no-parking regulations to remove bottlenecks on high-traffic corridors. Parking was banned on both sides of the road from Triveni Hotel to Central Bus Stand (CBS) Circle, and from Kirti Hotel Cross to Sangolli Rayanna Circle. On the stretch from Krishnadevaraya Circle to the city corporation office cross, an alternate-day parking system was introduced, with parking on one side on odd-numbered days and the other side on even-numbered days, based on markings and on-site instructions.Violations will invite action under Section 190(2) of the Motor Vehicles Act, police said, adding that special enforcement drives will be conducted, particularly during peak hours. The police also appealed to citizens to cooperate by avoiding illegal and double parking, respecting pedestrian crossings, not encroaching on footpaths, and using designated parking spaces. Parents and office-goers were advised not to stop vehicles in the middle of roads, and motorists were urged to drive patiently and responsibly to ensure smoother traffic movement across the city.