Speed limit fixed at 30km/hr for 9 underpasses in Gurugram

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Gurugram, October 31

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) in consultation with the traffic police has fixed a uniform speed limit of 30 km/hour in city underpasses.

117 deaths

According to Gurugram traffic police, at least 117 deaths have taken place on the highway stretch running through Gurugram due to speeding.

The limit will be applicable to all nine underpasses, including the three located on the expressway. To ensure that the vehicles adhere to the new speed limit, rumble strips will be installed at the entry points of the underpasses as a speed calming measure.

GMDA Chief Executive Officer PC Meena said unlike speed breakers, rumble strips reduce the speed of vehicles in such a manner that there is no traffic build-up that will cause snarl-ups. “By placing rumble strips at short intervals, the vehicles cannot speed and thus the chances of accidents also reduce significantly,” he said.

According to Gurugram traffic police, at least 117 deaths have taken place on the highway stretch running through Gurugram due to speeding.

While the National Highways Authority of India had enforced a speed limit of 30km/hour on underpasses coming under it, the GMDA had earlier put a speed limit of 50km/hour on underpasses managed by it. The lack of coordination between the two departments was causing confusion following which, the authority changed the speed limit of the nine underpasses to ensure uniformity.

GMDA officials said speed cameras have already been installed at three underpasses on Golf Course Road and tenders will soon be floated for the rest. Also, the authority may seek help from companies through their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds for installing speed cameras.

Last year in August, a team from IIT-Madras and the Gurugram traffic police had launched a study of Golf Course Road to analyse the accident data, structure, traffic pattern and reasons behind accidents.

The analysis had helped police arrive at an optimum speed limit so that the traffic flow remains smooth while at the same time reducing the number of accidents. As per the traffic police, the speed limit for cars on highways was set at 90km/hour and for two-wheelers and heavy vehicles at 50km/hour.On major municipal roads, the limit is 50km/hour for cars and two-wheelers, and 30km/hour for heavy vehicles.

On state highways, it is 80km/hour for cars, and 50km/hour for two-wheelers and heavy vehicles.

The police said there are no speed limits set for arterial roads and local stretches at present, but these will also be fixed by the end of the year.