Road Safety Council introduces new speed management guidelines

MP, 10 Jan 2025, Kolkata: The 12th State Road Safety Council has introduced new speed management guidelines aimed at reducing road accidents and fatalities across Bengal. A key focus of the new rules is addressing the frequent accidents involving buses, which could lead to reduced speed limits for buses on city roads. 

Constituted in 2015 under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the Council has set distinct speed limits for both urban and rural areas, considering road conditions and the safety of vulnerable road users. 

These guidelines are expected to be formalised in a Gazette notification soon. For urban roads, the guidelines outline three scenarios. In areas with significant pedestrian activity, such as school zones, residential areas and markets, the maximum speed limit will be 25 kmph in school zones and 30 kmph in other areas. 

On urban arterial roads, where traffic flow is less obstructed and vulnerable road users are protected or segregated, the speed limit will be set at 50 kmph. Roads not qualifying for either the 30 kmph or 50 kmph speed limits will have a general limit of 40 kmph. 

However, if frequent bus-related accidents occur in school zones or other sensitive areas, the speed limit for buses could be further reduced to 20 kmph. Additionally, where the speed limit is set at 40 kmph or 50 kmph, the speed limit for buses could be reduced by 10 kmph if bus-related accidents are frequent. 

To ease traffic management, the entry of trucks into large urban areas, such as Kolkata, will be restricted during daytime hours. Trucks may operate outside regular working hours, with their speed limited to the same as buses. In rural areas, the guidelines are more varied, with five different scenarios determining the applicable speed limits. 

In locations such as markets, schools and hospitals, where pedestrian and cyclist interactions are frequent, the speed limit will be 25 kmph in school zones and 30 kmph elsewhere. Speed limits can go up to 80 kmph for cars, buses and trucks, depending on specific conditions. 

An inter-departmental committee will oversee the implementation of these measures. Chaired by the additional director general of police (traffic & road safety) of the state, the committee will include representatives from multiple state departments, including Transport, Health, School Education, Urban Development and Kolkata Police. 

This initiative follows a directive from the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, issued on June 7, 2023, which instructed the state government to revisit its strategies for reducing fatalities in road accidents by at least 10 per cent annually, aiming to halve fatalities by 2030. It also directed the state to devise strategies to reduce pedestrian fatalities in road accidents. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-begins-assessing-performance-ofeach-min-to-build-yet-more-efficient-govt-594327