Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has instructed officials not to issue speeding challans for vehicles travelling at speeds of up to 120 kmph on expressways. He also said motorists travelling up to 20% above that speed should be spared penalties, with challans issued beyond the stated tolerance. His remarks came during a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event on India’s highway development.
The announcement follows complaints from motorists about automated speeding notices on expressways, including the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway. Gadkari said the instructions were intended to address concerns about notices issued to drivers for relatively small speed violations.
However, the remarks do not automatically change the official speed limits displayed on individual roads. Motorists must continue to follow applicable speed limits, road signs and traffic rules. The reported tolerance concerns enforcement of speeding violations and should not be treated as permission to drive dangerously.
Gadkari also called for wider use of an artificial intelligence-based Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS). The system is expected to help authorities detect lane-discipline violations and improve traffic monitoring on highways.
The proposal has drawn attention to the balance between reducing unnecessary challans and maintaining road safety. Drivers should follow official updates from the transport authorities for any formal changes to enforcement procedures.
