Now Reading: 120 km/h on expressway won’t attract challan, Gadkari says
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120 km/h on expressway won’t attract challan, Gadkari says
The Story in Brief
Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said that drivers on expressways should not be issued challans for driving up to 120 km/h. Speaking at a CII event, Gadkari said he has directed officials to provide a 20% speed tolerance, meaning no penalty for speeds up to 144 km/h on roads with a 120 km/h limit. For expressways with a 100 km/h limit, the tolerance would allow up to 120 km/h.
Gadkari also urged industry to adopt AI-based advanced traffic management systems (ATMS) to improve highway safety and reduce unnecessary challan notices. The new relaxation is not yet a legally enforced rule, an official gazette notification or amendment to speed limit rules would be needed before it takes effect. Drivers are advised to follow the posted speed limits on each expressway.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Gadkari's 20% tolerance formula, if formalised, would effectively raise the enforcement threshold on expressways to 144 km/h, a significant de facto relaxation that benefits private car users. The minister's statement remains an administrative direction, not a statutory change, leaving drivers in a grey zone until the transport ministry issues a gazette notification. The push for AI-based traffic management also signals a shift away from manual challaning toward automated enforcement, which could reduce discretionary notices but also raise privacy questions. The next step to watch is the official notification from the ministry.
Source: businesstoday.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
