Nitin Gadkari suggests speed buffer for expressway fine enforcement

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has instructed officials to provide a buffer margin for speeding fines on expressways. Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event, Gadkari stated that vehicles traveling up to 120 kmph should not receive speeding notices.

He further suggested that a 20 percent margin above the set limit should be permitted before a fine is issued. For expressways with a 120 kmph limit, this would effectively mean no penalties for speeds up to approximately 144 kmph. Gadkari noted that this recommendation aims to make the fine system more practical, addressing complaints regarding notices issued due to minor speed variations or technical discrepancies.

This directive does not officially increase the legal speed limits on expressways, nor does it apply to all highways. For instance, the Delhi-Noida and Noida-Greater Noida expressways maintain a 100 kmph limit for cars, which may be reduced to 75 kmph during fog. Additionally, Gadkari emphasized the need to strengthen Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) using Artificial Intelligence to monitor highways and detect lane violations.