Noida expressway off limits for cycles, autos & e-ricks, say cops

NOIDA: A day after a group of six cyclists was injured after a speeding truck ploughed into them on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, the Gautam Budh Nagar traffic police on Wednesday enforced a ban on the movement of bicycles, auto- and e-rickshaws on the expressway.
The 25-km arterial highway has four lanes – rescue, bus, car and overtaking – on both sides and is one of the busiest stretches connecting Noida to Greater Noida with around one lakh vehicles using it per day.On Wednesday, DCP (traffic) Ganesh Prasad Saha told TOI that the expressway was meant for fast-moving traffic and it is not suitable for cycles and three-wheelers like auto- and e-rickshaws.
“We have enforced a ban for cycles, autos and e-rickshaws on the expressway. A police team has been deployed for enforcing the ban. It is also using CCTV cameras to spot violators and initiate suitable action,” he said.
The police team was deployed near Mahamaya Flyway on Wednesday from 8 am-12 noon for the drive, traffic sub-inspector Vishal Chaudhury said. “We spotted some cyclists who wanted to go towards Pari Chowk. They were told to turn back and advised not to use the expressway for cycling,” he said, adding that cops also seized an auto-rickshaw and fined eight others and one e-rickshaw for driving on the expressway. In the coming days, the department plans to seize cycles of repeat violators.
Vijeta Pandey, a cyclist and resident of Gaur City 1, meanwhile told TOI that the city lacked suitable infrastructure for cyclists. “Some people cycle in their neighbourhood in absence of suitable cycle tracks. Others plan for long tours of 50-100 km and to meet this target they take the Noida Expressway,” she said.
While urging fellow cyclists to avoid the busy expressway for safety reasons, Pandey said, “The traffic police should also ensure enforcement and put up some signboards on the expressway as well advising cyclists to stay off it. At present, we do not see such signboards.”
According to Gautam Budh Nagar traffic police data, 368 people were killed and 504 injured in 798 accidents in 2021 against 380 deaths and 528 injuries in 740 accidents in 2020.