Ahmedabad police have extended the city’s heavy vehicle entry restrictions until 2am during Navratri, adding two hours to the existing nightly curbs between October 11 and 21. The measure is intended to manage traffic and reduce the risk of accidents during a period of increased movement across the city.
According to a police notification reported by the Times of India, large heavy vehicles, long vehicles and large passenger vehicles will not be allowed to enter Ahmedabad during the extended restriction period. The existing ban normally operates from 8am to midnight, but vehicles covered by the order will now remain restricted until 2am.
The extension is linked to the expected traffic conditions during Navratri, when movement continues late into the night. The notification does not provide a separate route map or identify specific corridors, indicating that the restriction applies to entry into the city under the categories specified by the police order.
Some vehicle categories will remain permitted. Light goods vehicles and light passenger vehicles with a gross weight of up to 7,500kg will continue to be allowed. Non-sleeper passenger vehicles with seating capacity of up to 33 people are also exempted from the extended restriction, according to the report.
The city’s existing restrictions will continue to apply alongside the Navratri extension. Goods vehicles and tractor-trolleys are generally barred from entering between 8am and 11pm, while passenger vehicles carrying more than 33 people face restrictions between 8am and 10pm. The temporary extension therefore affects the late-night window after these existing timings, particularly for larger commercial and passenger vehicles.
The order has implications for freight operators, bus services and businesses that depend on late-night deliveries. Vehicles that fall within the permitted categories will continue to have access, while operators of heavier or longer vehicles will need to plan entry around the restricted hours or remain outside the city until the extended ban ends.
Police said violations will attract action under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 131 of the Gujarat Police Act. The temporary measure is scheduled to lapse after the Navratri restriction period, following which the existing vehicle-entry rules will resume. The notification does not specify any separate extension beyond the stated festival dates.
