Nagpur: The city’s busy roads within the Inner Ring Road witnessed smoother traffic flow on Wednesday after Nagpur Traffic Police launched a crackdown on private buses violating the recently imposed ban on pick-up and drop operations inside city limits.

By 7 pm, action had been taken against 27 private buses — including 12 booked under Sections 223 and 285 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and 15 under the Motor Vehicles Act for illegal parking.

Except for the Ajni traffic zone, all nine other zones reported violations. Sitabuldi, Cotton Market, and Lakadganj zones registered five cases each. Traffic police officials said most buses were found either parking illegally or halting roadside for passenger boarding, causing obstruction.

Earlier in the day, private passenger bus operators moved the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court challenging the traffic police’s order. The court has issued notices to the Principal Secretary (Home), DGP (Transport), Transport Commissioner, Nagpur Police Commissioner, DCP (Traffic), Regional Transport Officer, Municipal Commissioner, District Collector, and Divisional Commissioner, directing them to file replies within two days.

Traffic police maintained that the restriction was necessary to curb congestion, as most private operators lack designated parking or boarding spaces within city limits.