The traffic department issued an advisory and restricted heavy vehicles on Mumba-Goa Highway on Saturday, April 12. The restrictions were placed due to VIP movement on the occasion of the 345th Punyatithi (death anniversary) of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The ban on heavy and oversized vehicles will be imposed from April 12 from 12 am to 3 pm, from Kharpada to Kashedi, as a large number of people will visit Raigad Fort. During the two-day visit to Maharashtra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah will also visit the Raigad Fort tomorrow to pay homage to Marath warriors.
People from several districts of Maharashtra and outside are expected to visit due to which traffic congestion on Mumbai-Goa Highway are most likely. To ensure smooth traffic flow, Raigad District Collector Kishan Jawale issued directives to ban heavy vehicles on this day. Home Minister Shah will be the chief guest at the Shiv Punya Tithi function. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, and other dignitaries will also attend.
The prohibitory orders will not apply to vehicles carrying essential commodities like milk, petrol, diesel, cooking gas, medicines, oxygen, vegetables, police vehicles, fire brigade vehicles, ambulances, and vehicles coming for women empowerment campaign programmes.