India, Aug. 21 -- Anticipating a massive surge in traffic during the upcoming Ganesh festival, authorities have imposed restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles on the Mumbai Goa highway (National Highway 66).

The order, issued by Deputy Regional Transport Officer (Panvel), bans the movement of vehicles with a load capacity of 16 tonnes and above including trucks, trailers, lorries, and multi-axle vehicles on the designated days - to ease congestion and ensure the safety of devotees traveling to Konkan and Goa.

"The move is aimed at preventing traffic snarls and accidents on the narrow and busy Mumbai-Goa highway, which witnesses an unprecedented rush of vehicles during the 11-day Ganesh festival," said an official.

The restricti...