GUWAHATI: The Assam Transport Department has set strict maximum speed limits for vehicles plying on State highways.
As per the Transport department, 75 percent of road accidents in the State occur due to overspeeding. As such the department is using high-tech Traffic Interceptor Vehicles and Speed Radar Guns to monitor the speed of vehicles on State highways.
For vehicles that violate the speed limit indicated in road signages, a penalty of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 will be levied against them under Section 183 of the Motor Vehicle Act.
The road signages are reportedly set as per the 2015 notification of Assam government that sets the maximum speed limit for all classes of motor vehicles as follows-
i) 50 km/ hr on State Highways and Major District Roads
ii) 40 km/hr within Guwahati Metropolitan Area
iii) 40 km/hr on other roads within the Urban and Municipality areas.
District Transport Officer (DTO) of Kamrup (M) Himanshu Das clarified to G Plus that the speed limits have been enforced only on sections that are under the State government, and not throughout National Highways, as they are under the jurisdiction of the NHAI.
“People can accelerate upto 100 kms where the NHAI permits. But should reduce the speed at places where the signages are given, that is near State highways, schools, crossings, etc. It has been three months since the enforcement of these laws and the results are already showing reduction in accidents” he added.
“Nothing new has been implemented. The government has given the enforcement agencies and the police about 15 Interceptor Vehicles and many Speed Radar Guns for strict implementation of the existing laws. And we are doing just that.” Das said.
However, the speed limits that are being set up along the highways and the strict patrolling of interceptor vehicles have irked long-distance commuters.
Recently, citizens took to social media to express their discontent against the speed limitations marked for highways.
“It takes 10 hours from Guwahati to Tinsukia at a speed of 80 km/hr. At 50km/hr it would take 15 hours. Is it justified on a highway?” a citizen wrote.
Another writes, "If I cross Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat to reach Sivasagar at the usual speed, I will be paying Rs 16,000 as fine on my journey through a National Highway."
People have opined that such lower speed limits are unfair for long-distance travel, especially on the high-end infrastructures of National Highways.
The National Highway Authority of India told G Plus that the maximum speed limit set by them for NH is 100 km/hr and the average is 80km/hr. On certain sections of about 300-400kms where the road conditions are not appropriate, narrow, there are presence of educational institutions and other such factors, the speed limits are set at 30-40 km/hr.
