Delhi-Meerut Expressway gets India's first time-based speed limits from August 15
Commuters on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway will face different speed limits at different times of the day from August 15 under a pilot project that officials
Commuters on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway will face different speed limits at different times of the day from August 15 under a pilot project that officials described as the first of its kind in the country. The variable speed limit system will be introduced in the first phase on the Delhi stretch between Akshardham and Sarai Kale Khan. The project will change speed limits for cars and heavy vehicles based on traffic congestion on the road. Officials said the move is aimed at reducing congestion and accidents, with digital display boards and speed detection cameras set to support its enforcement. Read Full Story The Delhi-Meerut Expressway, which passes through NCR cities such as Ghaziabad and Noida, has so far had the same speed limits for cars and heavy vehicles.
Under the new plan, between 12 am and 7 am, the speed limit will be 65 kmph for cars and 50 kmph for heavy vehicles. From 7 am to 5 pm, it will be 55 kmph for cars and 45 kmph for heavy vehicles. Between 5 pm and 12 am, it will be 60 kmph for cars and 40 kmph for heavy vehicles. Existing speed signboards on the expressway have been covered or blurred to avoid confusion. "The variable speed limit project will be implemented from August 15 between the Akshardham and Sarai Kale Khan stretch of the expressway in the first phase. This will be the first such project in the country," Satish Chandra, professor, Civil Engineering Department, IIT Roorkee, told PTI. The Central Road Research Institute has installed special sensors on the expressway to record vehicle movement data.
Chandra, who is working on the project with the CRRI, said, "The researchers studied 24-hour traffic data of the expressway over the past few months and then decided upon these speed limits. The main objective of the project is to reduce congestion and accidents on the roads. We will collect data after an interval of three months and assess the actual effect of the project on the ground," he said. The Highways Authority of India, which manages the expressway, is the implementing agency for the project. A senior Delhi Traffic Police officer said the speed limits and any variation in them were based entirely on a scientific traffic study carried out by another department and were aimed at improving road safety as well as traffic flow.
"So far, we have learnt that two digital variable speed limit display boards have been installed on separate foot overbridges along the Delhi stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. One has been installed near Akshardham temple and the other near the Pandav Nagar FOB. Our role is to monitor compliance and take action against motorists found overspeeding," the officer said. Another police officer said that apart from the variable speed limit display boards, speed detection cameras would also be installed along the corridor. These would automatically enforce the speed limit displayed at a particular time, detect vehicles violating the prescribed limit, and notify drivers. Ends
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