Celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai? When to take out your car and when not to

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations have kicked-off across the country on September 19. The 10 day festival is especially celebrated with a lot of fervour in Maharashtra and Mumbai, following which the Mumbai Police has taken special measures to ensure smooth traffic movement across the financial capital. With over 13,000 police personnel deployed across Mumbai, here are the traffic arrangements that have been put in place up till September 29.

As per the temporary notice, the Mumbai Police has issued traffic restrictions across different parts of the city, including South Mumbai and Greater Mumbai. The restrictions mainly concern heavy vehicles and private buses. These vehicles will be completely banned from entering South Mumbai on September 21, 24, 26 and 29. On September 20, 23 and 25 heavy vehicles and private buses will be banned across the city, except South Mumbai between 11 am to 1 pm. Throughout the 10 days, these vehicles will be allowed into the city between midnight to 7 am.

What does it mean for you?
If you are living in South Mumbai then while there is no restriction on private vehicles, hired cabs, BEST buses and local trains, it would be best to avoid going out on September 20, 23 and 25 as heavy vehicular movement may lead to increased congestion in the city. If not, then choose public or hired transport to travel more comfortably. For citizens living in other parts of Mumbai, the same logic applies on September 21, 24, 26 and 29. Late night travel is expected to be smoother across the city during the festive period.