NEW DELHI: Road transport minister Nitin Gadkari’s recent announcement that he has asked authorities not to issue challans to cars travelling up to 20% above the prescribed speed limit on expressways — effectively allowing speeds of up to 140 kmph — cannot be implemented under the existing legal framework and may be detrimental to road safety, experts said.The announcement comes at a time when speeding remains the leading cause of road crashes and fatalities in India and globally. In India, more than 58% of road crash deaths (little over one lakh) in 2024 were attributed to speeding. Experts also pointed out that road infrastructure is not necessarily designed to safely accommodate cars travelling at 140 kmph.Speaking at a CII event on Tuesday, Gadkari said, “I was told that people are getting challans for speed violation on expressways for travelling little over 120 kmph. I have directed officers that no challans should be issued, if anyone is driving at speed that’s 20% more than 120 kmph. But if someone crosses that limit, issue challan.”Under the existing Motor Vehicles Rules, maximum permissible…
Gadkari’s 140 kmph no-challan proposal faces legal, road safety hurdles
In short
Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has asked authorities to stop penalizing vehicles going up to 20% over expressway caps, which would allow travel at 140 kmph. However, existing Motor Vehicles Rules legally restrict expressway driving to 120 kmph with only a 5% margin before fines apply. Experts argue that domestic road infrastructure cannot safely support such velocities, especially after speeding caused over one lakh Indian deaths in 2024 alone.
Key points
- Minister Nitin Gadkari's proposed 20% enforcement buffer cannot take effect without forma…: Minister Nitin Gadkari's proposed 20% enforcement buffer cannot take effect without formal revisions to the existing legal framework.
- Road safety specialists warn that existing expressway infrastructure is not designed to s…: Road safety specialists warn that existing expressway infrastructure is not designed to safely accommodate vehicles traveling at 140 kmph.
- Experts insist that any future speed limit modifications require rigorous scientific safe…: Experts insist that any future speed limit modifications require rigorous scientific safety assessments rather than broad enforcement exemptions.