[SlowRider]

Good move if it's indeed true. 85-90km/h is like the best possible cruising speed you can maintain on Kerala roads. It's nice not to set off the speed cameras while doing this. I also appreciate the revision in limits for heavy vehicles. This will have a direct impact on public transport, especially the long distance buses. After all those cameras came up on NH47, these buses were taking more time to cover the distance. Looks like we're going back to good old days.

[darklord]

Strange indeed, as mentioned many times previously. No other news outlets seem to have picked up this report. No circular/government order in MVD website. The speed limits have not been updated either. I guess it will be better to drive within the old speed limits till we get a secondary, credible confirmation.

[pramodpk]

The government notification regarding the same is available at

http://www.kerala.gov.in/index.php?o...34&Itemid=2707

If you google - G.O.(P) No.20/2014/Tran, you will see tha above in results.

[e2p]

This is a very welcome move. I find it very difficult to maintain a speed below 70 in my Civic and got one ticket for overspeeding. I am yet to receive the ticket, but I could see that in the website.

Now 85/90 is something that can be maintained. Not sure when the cameras' will be set for the revised limits.

Thank God and also to MVD for listening to our prayers.

[one-77]

Good that the speed limit has been revised. Keeping an eye out for the radars was a laborious task, making driving on our highways even tougher than earlier.
Have the radars been set to the new limits?
Will the speed radars still have the 10 kmph buffer over the speed limit?
(I am an optimist. )

[rajeev k]

The only completes stretch of four lane road ib Kerala is the Chertallai - Trichur stretch and here one can come across many two wheelers and auto-rickshaws traveling in the wrong direction and criss-crossing with gay abandon. Stringent action is to be taken against them for ensuring safety..

[thoma]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

here one can come across many two wheelers and auto-rickshaws traveling in the wrong direction and criss-crossing with gay abandon.

I totally agree with this dangerous behavior of driving in the wrong direction to skip a U-turn far ahead. These guys think that it is their right of way to travel so and is blind of the situation we are in. Many a times I have been sandwiched by two vehicles approaching from my either side with almost same speed! These were not just rickshaws or bikes but cars too! Plain goondaism. The situation is more tight especially on two lanes when the wrong side car approaching us on our left do not care to slow down, and there is a speeding vehicle approaching us on their correct lane.

While it is a good move to up the speed limit, it is also very much essential to keep a tighter vigil on discipline, and not to mention, road maintenance.

[slalom]

Great move, I hope "God's own people" are sensible enough not to get excited and force the authorities to revoke the speed limits .

What I gatherd from the govt: notification is , for two wheelers the speed is still 50 kmph on the state highway ie MC road etc , sad thing for the KTM 390 guys and the rest of the bigger bikes .

[pramodpk]

The Motor Vehicle Department website has this mentioned. See the picture below.

[coolclouds]

In the notification they claim that the "condition of roads drastically changed". Other than very few roads, where is the change? 70/80 kmph was very much safely possible in 1996 than today. The traffic and road side population increased tremendously and now 70-90 is still dangerous other than few stretches.

[MaddyCrew]

Some of the numbers are not really where they should be & there are a few 'loopholes' - like the case of schools, will there be signs indicating start and end of school zones? Will the speed restrictions be time based etc etc.

But this is indeed a very good move by the MVD (or should we say Mr. Singh??). A revision of the speed limit has been long overdue. Excuse my ignorance, but is Kerala the first state to do this?

IMHO they should also bring in steep hike of the penalty rates for driving related offenses. The govt. could use that money to:
> improve road conditions - by way of more efficient maintenance activities
> improve road safety infrastructure - more speed cameras, intelligent traffic signals, road markings, sign boards etc.
> deliver driver training programs - like the ones offered by Maruti driving schools
> implement stricter driving license test/ renewal process - stricter evaluation process, avoiding driving schools (& their 'licence guaranteed' vehicles)
> continue investments in better staffing & IT infrastructure for MVD - for better enforcement and tracking of infractions.

Originally Posted by coolclouds

In the notification they claim that the "condition of roads drastically changed". Other than very few roads, where is the change? 70/80 kmph was very much safely possible in 1996 than today. The traffic and road side population increased tremendously and now 70-90 is still dangerous other than few stretches.

@coolclouds - You are partly right my friend. Kerala has the highest population density and the road conditions on most part are nothing great. And I guess that is exactly why the speed restrictions have been clearly tiered based on road/ locality type.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by coolclouds

In the notification they claim that the "condition of roads drastically changed". Other than very few roads, where is the change? 70/80 kmph was very much safely possible in 1996 than today. The traffic and road side population increased tremendously and now 70-90 is still dangerous other than few stretches.

You are spot on.
Why 1996?, even much before doing 80/90kmph on the Trivandrum-Ernakulam stretch of NH 47 was quite safer. But today due to higher vehicle intensity and the urbanization of the entire stretch make even 60Kmph dangerous.
There was a KSRTC non stop Terra-plane service between Trivandrum and Kochi during late 70s/ early 80s, which took only 4hrs 30 mts to cover this stretch.
An Express bus in the same route takes all of 6 hrs and 30 mts, today.
The entire NH 47 needs to be developed as a 4 lane road and bypasses needs to be developed around all towns to traverse safely in lesser time.
What could happen in Kerala is, by the time the 4 lanes are developed traffic density would exceed even the norms for a 6 lane way..

[one-77]

I think the roads have vastly improved, on whole over the last decade. Especially the Tcr-Cochin stretch, and Tcr-Kozhikode road which I have been frequenting from as far back as I can remember. The vehicle density has increased, too.
But four-lane are much safer than the earlier two lanes, I believe, since it limits possibilities of head-on collisions as a result of inane overtaking manoeuvres. This is still a problem in the Tcr-Kozhikode road, which has several errant bus drivers.

Having said that, speeds above 80-90 are still unsafe on our roads, as one can at any moment come across an animal/ pedestrian/ broken down vehicle/ crawling truck/ or a vehicle coming in the wrong direction even when driving on the inside lane of a four lane road. Also people change lanes without any apparent reason and without glancing at the rearview mirror.

People still are saner than those in other parts of the country, though.

[pramodpk]

This news was in the print edition of Mathrubhumi in Kerala yesterday and the print edition in Bangalore today. As per the report, the new speed limits will be implemented from April 1st. I plan to keep the paper clipping with me during my next drive to Kerala in April

For those who can read Malayalam, here is the link to the news that came in online edition yesterday.

[deetjohn]

KL MVD takes steps to implement revised vehicle speed limit

The MVD assisted by the Road Safety Authority has started placing display boards along the highway stretches detailing the revised speed limits.

Boards had already been placed on the stretch between Cherthala and Aroor and the rest of the stretch up to Mannuthy will be covered by April-May.

MVD sources pointed out that the speed limit of 90 km had been set only where highways were maintained as four-lane. This effectively restricts driving at that speed only in the Cherthala-Mannuthy stretch. In the remaining stretches of highway, speed has been revised to 85 km/hr.

“Besides, it has also to be noted that wherever the four-lane highway passes through city limits, the speed will have to be brought down to 45 km/hr — the revised speed limit set for city limits. For example, you will have to maintain the speed limit on NH47 Bypass at 45 km/hr.