The speed limit on highways should be increased to 140kmph, says Nitin Gadkari

** The speed limit on highways should be increased to 140kmph, says Nitin Gadkari**

The speed limit of vehicles on National Highways and Expressways in the country may soon increase, said Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. Gadkari added that the Centre is in favour of increasing the speed limit to 140kmph, but the Supreme Court and the High Court need more convincing in this matter. However, a bill will soon be presented in Parliament for the same to amend the speed limit on Indian roads.

Nitin Gadkari said, “The parameter of the speed limit of vehicles in India is one of the big challenges for us. There are some decisions by the Supreme Court and High Court regarding car speed, due to which we are not able to do anything. Today, such an expressway has been built in the country and not even a dog can come on those roads because barricading has been done on both sides of the road. In such a situation, we have made a plan that I will go to Parliament and change all the parameters by making a bill.”

Gadkari further added, “There is a mentality regarding speed that if the speed of the car increases then there will be an accident. We are preparing this bill to get out of this perception. In the new bill, speed limits are being prepared from expressways to highways and roads of cities and districts. In a democracy, we have the right to make laws and judges have the right to decide.”

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said he believes that the speed limit on expressways and highways should be increased from 120kmph to 140kmph. Similarly, the speed limit on national highways should be restricted to 100kmph on 4-lane roads, 80kmph on 2-lane roads, and 75kmph on city roads. Gadkari said the move would also help facilitate autonomous driving on Indian roads, and allow car companies to manufacture such vehicles, citing the example of Tesla and its self-driving electric cars.