Jaipur: Barely four days after the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) opened four U-turn bays on Mahal Road, traffic police have moved to keep heavy vehicles out of them, citing inadequate turning width and safety concerns.DC (Traffic) Yogesh Goyal confirmed that large vehicles, particularly trailers, will not be allowed to use the newly opened bays.“The width of these bays is not enough for big vehicles, especially trailers. They will have to go further and take a U-turn from the nearest available cut on Mahal Road,” Goyal said.At the request of JDA commissioner, police have begun diverting such vehicles to the nearest wider cuts available on either side of the four bays. Light vehicles and regular traffic can continue using the facility.Transporters, however, warned that the restriction could turn into a major operational headache once all seven proposed bays are opened and intermediate cuts between No. 7 crossing and Bombay Hospital crossing are closed.The two junctions sit at opposite ends of the roughly seven-kilometre Mahal Road stretch. According to transporters, a truck missing a turn could be forced into a diversion of up to 15 km.“Vehicles needing a right turn from either end would have to travel to the far side, cross the last bay and return from the first open cut. Such routing would increase fuel costs, delay deliveries, and push drivers towards alternate internal roads,” Amit Singh, a transporter, said.Some traffic officials also shared that concern. They fear heavy vehicles may begin entering neighbourhoods near Bombay Hospital in Pratap Nagar and Jagatpura, and the area around Jagatpura railway station to avoid long detours.“Say, a heavy vehicle heading towards the old airport terminal area from Balaji Tiraha would have to go beyond Bombay Hospital for a legal U-turn. Instead, the driver may prefer crossing Jagatpura Phatak and using the congested inner roads. The only solace: the number of restricted vehicles is few,” an official added.
