Autos, city buses banned in Walled City areas till Diwali

Vadodara: From Wednesday, you won’t spot any auto-rickshaw in the walled city areas during the peak hours. The traffic police has banned the entry of autos during evening time in the walled city areas till Diwali. City police commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut took the decision considering the rush for Diwali shopping in the old city lanes. A notification regarding the new traffic rules was issued on Tuesday.
“Ahead of Diwali, almost every lane in the walled city is packed with shoppers. The entire Mandvi Road has shops of garments, jewellery, perfumes and several other products that are bought during Diwali. Thousands visit this stretch and it often leads to traffic snarls,” said a traffic police official.

“People usually use autos to reach these areas so the number of rickshaws too go up and cause more chaos. So it has been decided to ban entry of autos in the walled city between 4 pm and 9 pm till November 8,” the official added. The entry of autos is already banned during peak hours in the evenings all the year.

“Entry of 55-seater city buses too has been banned between 4 pm and 9 pm in the walled city but 32-seater buses will be able to ply. Commuters and shoppers will be able to drive four-wheelers in the walled city areas but they won’t be allowed to park vehicle as there will be no space on the narrow road,” the police said. The notification states that two-wheeler drivers will be allowed to enter and park their vehicles any time of the day in the walled city.

The no-entry rule for autos has been exempted for patients, senior citizens and handicapped people.