New Delhi: The maximum speed on the world-class highways coming up in India will remain at the existing 120kmph in the interest of safety, even though many of them have been tested for speeds as high as 160kmph.
The Union road ministry has decided to retain the speed limit of 120kmph and 100kmph for expressways and highways, respectively, two people aware of the development said. However, the ministry will await an apex court verdict on this matter before making a notification.
In April 2018, the government set speed limits of 120kmph for expressways, 100kmph for national highways and 60kmph for urban roads. However, the Madras High Court quashed the order in 2021, stating these speeds were too high. The matter is now in the Supreme Court.
“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has internally decided to keep speed limits on highways at the levels decided in 2018 to give more time for highway driving to get mature and disciplined,” one of the two people cited above said on the condition of anonymity.
“The proposed speed limits are still among the best globally and are considered sufficient for ensuring logistics efficiency, as it would double the average speed of truck movement on highways from the present 40kmph to 80kmph,” he added.
A query sent to a road ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time.
The Motor Vehicles Act empowers MoRTH to set speed limits across the country; however, the subject falls in the concurrent list, meaning states also get to decide on the matter.
The ministry had notified the 2018 speed limits after a study by an expert group and after inspecting the road infrastructure and improved vehicle engineering. The new access-controlled highways were also tested for speeds of 140-160kmph. There were also some discussions at the time to raise the limit on expressways further to 140kmph.
Though the quality of roads and vehicles has improved since 2018, the government wants to move cautiously on speed limits, given the high incidence of road accidents in the country, which also sees the highest number of road deaths worldwide.
It is expected that the Centre will talk to states in the coming days before framing speed norms in line with its 2018 notification.
The new norms will classify speed limits for different types of highways, including access-controlled highways, 8-lane, 6-lane, 4-lane and 2-lane highways with limits for vehicular traffic in cities.
As per the 2018 notification, the maximum speed limit was set for different categories of vehicles plying on different categories of roads. The maximum speed of 120kmph was fixed for eight-seater passenger vehicles moving on access-controlled expressway, while 100kmph was set for same vehicle on 4-lane and above divided carriageway, and 70kmph on other roads, including those falling within municipal limits.
For nine-seaters and above, the speed limits were kept at 100kmph, 90kmph and 60kmph for expressways, 4-lane highways and municipal roads, respectively. For goods vehicles, the limit was kept at 80kmph and 60kmph and 50kmph for three-wheelers.
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Updated: 23 Sep 2023, 12:42 AM IST