Nagpur: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has said he has instructed authorities not to issue speeding challans to vehicles travelling at up to 120 kmph on expressways. The statement came while addressing concerns around speeding challans. He added that motorists exceeding that speed by up to 20% should also be let off, with penalties reserved for higher speeds.
Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event on the future of India’s highways, Gadkari said the instruction was aimed at reducing unnecessary notices for drivers on expressways such as the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, where speed limits currently range between 100 and 120 kmph.
“Some people are receiving notices on the road due to speed. I have instructed that no notices should be sent for speeds up to 120 kmph. And even above 120, if someone exceeds it by 20%, let them go. If someone goes beyond this, issue a challan,” the Minister said.
The 20% margin would effectively mean no challan up to around 144 kmph on a 120 kmph stretch, though Gadkari’s remarks were made in the context of expressway enforcement rather than as a formal revision of posted speed limits.
The Union Minister also called on industry to support the rollout of an AI-based Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS). Such a system could help authorities detect lane-discipline violations and strengthen enforcement across India’s growing highway network.
Gadkari defends E20 fuel
The Minister also pushed back against criticism of E20 petrol, describing protests against the fuel as “paid propaganda”. He said 4 crore cars and 20 crore two-wheelers have been running on E20 since 2022, and questioned claims that the blend had caused widespread vehicle damage.
“Since 2022, 4 crore cars and 20 crore two-wheelers have been running on E20 fuel. Three months back, there was a lot of uproar (halla) over ethanol. Now everything has gone quiet. E20 is being used since 2022, has anyone’s vehicle broken down yet? This was entirely paid propaganda,” Gadkari said at the CII event.
His remarks came a day after the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, allowing flex-fuel vehicles to run on fuel containing up to 100% ethanol, known as E100.
