Mumbai-Pune Expressway Missing Link to ban all goods vehicles from November 1

All goods-carrying vehicles will be prohibited from using the Missing Link on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway from November 1 under revised traffic restrictions issued by the Maharashtra traffic police.

The notification, issued on October 26, withdraws the earlier permission for light goods vehicles to use the new alignment. Goods vehicles will have to continue using the existing expressway route.

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including inflammable and explosive substances, will also be barred from the Missing Link, reported The Hindustan Times.

The revised rules permit non-transport light motor vehicles and authorised passenger vehicles, including passenger buses, to use the route. The regulations will remain in force from November 1, 2026, until further orders.

The maximum speed limit for cars and other permitted light motor vehicles has been set at 100 kmph. Passenger buses and other authorised passenger vehicles will be restricted to 80 kmph.

The notification also provides for a five per cent tolerance in detected speed when violations are considered under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

Authorities said the restrictions were intended to address traffic safety requirements inside the Missing Link’s tunnels and other technical considerations. The rules are also aimed at preventing congestion and reducing the risk of accidents on the route.

The Missing Link forms part of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway’s new alignment, which was developed to improve connectivity through tunnels and other engineering structures.

The revised rules clarify which vehicle categories can use the route and establish speed limits for permitted traffic. Operators of goods vehicles will need to continue using the existing expressway alignment once the restrictions take effect.