Mumbai: Following a fresh notification fresh by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), the Mumbai Traffic Police (MTP) have revised speed limits on 11 major roads and bridges including the JJ Flyover. The motorists can now drive upto 60kmph on JJ flyover, with a maximum of 35 mph on the curves. Earlier, the motorists had to limit their speed between 30-50kmph, failing which they were issued an e-challan by speed detecting cameras installed.
The other roads which will witness a revised speed limits are Eastern Freeway, Western Express Highway (WEH), Eastern Express Highway (EEH), Sion-Panvel road, Lalbaug flyover, Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) and Bandra Worli Sea Link, Bandra and Worli side curve and Marine Drive.
Moreover, the MORTH guidelines have given an absolute speed limit of 70kmph in the city, that of Marine Drive was also decreased from 80kmph to 70kmph. Traffic police officials, the limit of 80 kmph has been retained for both the Eastern Freeway and Bandra-Worli Sea Link as there is no pedestrian movement here. However, new speed limits of 35-45 kmph have been introduced for bends and curves. Police will also launch campaigns to appeal to motorists to observe the speed limits from next week.
In Mumbai, pedestrians have been the biggest victims of road crashes in 2017 and 2018, which however calls for criticism on the traffic police's role in increasing the speed limit. Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Madhukar Pandey, Joint commissioner of police (Traffic) said, "Considering the extensive use of pedestrians on the WEH and EEH, the speed limit on both the stretches has been brought down. The revision is speed limits was made with roads and crashes assessment, with an aim to keep away traffic congestion and bring down the fatality rate."
Earlier, to instil traffic manners in motorists, the MTP had installed decibel meters at certain select but heavy traffic signals to deter the habitual honkers through a campaign named 'The Punishing Signal'. These signals were installed and activated at major junctions or signals at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaja Terminus, Marine Drive, Pedder Road, Hindmata Cinema Dadar, and Bandra on an experimental basis and will be brought in force sometime in May.
