The Centre has approved higher speed limits for different categories of vehicles, fixing it at 70 km per hour (kmph) for cars on city roads and 120 kmph on expressways, said media reports.

No action would be taken against drivers if the vehicle’s speed was within 5% of the maximum speed limit.

The decision, yet to be notified, lays down the speed limit for cargo carriers at 60 kmph and at 50 kmph for two-wheelers.

State governments and local authorities can fix lower speed limits for each category, depending on road conditions and safety considerations for other road users.

The proposal for capping the speed limit for all types of vehicles on four categories of roads was cleared by Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday. A committee headed by joint secretary (transport) Abhay Damle had recommended higher speed limits on expressways and for buses on highways.

The current urban speed limits set by local authorities range around 40-50 kmph. Reports quoting sources said the decision to set higher speed limits was taken in view of growing number of ring roads and major arterial stretches coming up in urban areas.

States and their agencies can decide on which stretches they can allow vehicles to ply at the limit set by the Centre.

Till now, the road transport ministry used to set the national maximum speed limit for different categories of vehicles, which left grey areas with respect to limits on different types of roads for which states or local authorities had not specified the maximum speed.

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Cabinet reshuffle soon; rail, road transport and civil aviation may merge together

By APN Correspondent

Some of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet ministers have been evincing enthusiasm for the altered approach towards work and have been trying to project their “achievements”. This has definitely resulted in better performance.

On Tuesday, APN carried a special report, as part of its popular show, Office-Office, on how ministers have been organising programmes to publicise their achievements. Some people feel that the BJP’s historic performance in the assembly elections has infused new energy in the ministers.

The report added that indications that a cabinet reshuffle is in the offing after the current parliament session might also have forced these ministers to up their performance. There are also indications that under the proposed Multi-Modal Transport Policy the Prime Minister might consider bringing together three different ministries—railways, road transport and civil aviation —as a single entity. It is felt this will enable better planning and execution in the transport sector. Perhaps, a first step towards this was the bringing of the railways under the general budget instead of having a separate budget.

However, the proposed merger of the three ministries is being opposed by the respective employees’ unions.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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