Madras HC quashes Centre’s order increasing speed limits on highways

The Madras High Court has quashed an April 2018 Central Government notification increasing the speed limit on highways and expressways.

The Union Government through a notification on April 6, 2018 had increased the speed limit of motor vehicles to 120 km/hr on expressways, 100 km/hr on four-lane highways and 70 km/hr on roads within municipal limits.

Quashing the Centre’s order, Justices N. Kirubakaran (since retired) and T.V. Thamilselvi also ordered that the speed limit should be maintained as per the August 5, 2014 notification since most road accidents were caused due to speeding on highways and municipal roads.

Though the Centre had claimed that the 2018 notification was issued due to availability of better engines and improvement of roads, the judges said non-compliance of road rules by motorists had, however, not changed.

The Bench pointed out that data released by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, showed that overspeeding was the major cause of road accidents which had kept increasing every year.

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