PUNE: Traffic on National Highway-48 (NH-48) towards Belagavi and Bengaluru has returned to normalcy after the protest at the Kognoli toll plaza in Karnataka was called off; the Maharashtra highway police said on Wednesday.
The protest had disrupted traffic on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, forcing authorities to divert vehicles travelling towards Karnataka onto alternative routes. Shivaji Pawar, superintendent of police (highway safety patrol, Pune), thanked commuters, bus operators and heavy vehicle drivers for their cooperation during the disruption. The department also acknowledged the coordination and assistance provided by the police in Pune, Sangli, Satara and Kolhapur districts in managing traffic and minimising inconvenience to motorists. The police have appealed to motorists to follow traffic regulations, cooperate with traffic personnel, and contact the highway police in case of any traffic-related difficulties.
In a traffic advisory issued on October 14, the Maharashtra highway police said that the road has been cleared and that traffic is moving as usual on the highway. The agitation, which began on the morning of October 13, took place over demands related to sugarcane prices, ethanol prices and other issues. With the protest called off, vehicles diverted onto alternative routes have been advised to return to NH-48. Traffic movement on NH-48 has now resumed as per the usual arrangements; the advisory said.
Because the protest at the Kognoli toll plaza was called off, ranjan Kumar Sharma, special inspector-general of police, Kolhapur range, said, “Traffic on NH-48 was restored on Wednesday after over 32 to 33 hours.
Motorists no longer need to use the alternative routes suggested in the earlier advisory.
