The State Government or any authority authorised in this behalf by the State Government, if satisfied that it is necessary in the interest of public safety or convenience, or because of the nature of any road or bridge, may, by notification in the Official Gazette, prohibit or restrict, subject to such exceptions and conditions as may be specified in the notification, the driving of motor vehicles or of any specified class or description of motor vehicles or the use of trailers either generally in a specified area or on a specified road and when any such prohibition or restriction is imposed, shall cause appropriate traffic signs to be placed or erected under section 116 at suitable places:
Provided that where any prohibition or restriction under this section is to remain in force for not more than one month, notification thereof in the Official Gazette shall not be necessary, but such local publicity as the circumstances may permit, shall be given of such prohibition or restriction.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 115
Section 115 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 empowers State Governments and authorized transport authorities to prohibit or restrict the use of motor vehicles on specified roads or bridges in the interest of public safety or road maintenance.
The authority may restrict vehicular movement conditionally or unconditionally, regulate heavy commercial vehicles during peak hours, enforce one-way corridors, or impose axle-load limits on aged bridges. Notifications under Section 115 must be accompanied by appropriate traffic warning signs erected under Section 116 to ensure fair notice to motorists.
Section 115 is frequently invoked to implement 'no-entry' hours for heavy trucks in metropolitan cities and restrict overloaded vehicles on mountainous or fragile bridges. Violating a Section 115 restriction is punishable under Section 179 and Section 194. If an accident occurs while a vehicle is operating on a prohibited road in direct defiance of a Section 115 notification, it forms strong evidence of gross driver negligence.