Gadkari’s 140 kmph no-challan proposal faces legal, road safety hurdles

New Delhi: Nitin Gadkari's proposal to allow cars to travel up to 140 kmph on expressways without issuing challans has drawn criticism from experts due to legal and safety concerns. The announcement comes amid the fact that speeding remains the leading cause of road accidents and fatalities worldwide, with over 58% of road crash deaths in India in 2024 attributed to speeding.

Gadkari stated that no challans should be issued to drivers going 20% faster than the 120 kmph speed limit on expressways. However, under the current Motor Vehicles Rules, the maximum permissible speed for cars on access-controlled expressways is 120 kmph, while it is 100 kmph on four-lane roads and 70 kmph on other roads. The rules permit a 5% speed relaxation, beyond which no exemption from challans applies.

Given that state governments and local authorities can also set lower speed limits based on local conditions, any nationwide relaxation would need to be evaluated in the context of existing laws and safety assessments. Experts emphasized that raising speed limits could heighten both the probability of accidents and the severity of injuries in case of collisions, thus calling for a legal framework and scientific evaluation of road safety before implementing such changes.