Clocking the speedometer above 40 kmph in the city limits will soon attract fine for overspeeding as authorities are gearing up to cut down the speed limit from 50 kmph to 40 kmph.

The new speed limit will come into effect in the city once the District Collector notifies the same through a gazette.

A special committee with representations from various departments has already submitted its request to the District Collector seeking a revision of the speed limit in city.

“The main reason why the committee sought the district administration to reduce the speed limit in city roads was to bring down accidents caused by overspeeding.

The speed limit was fixed 50 kmph years back when the vehicle population was comparatively low. Now the number of vehicles in the city has increased manifold,” said Sujit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Coimbatore city.

The meeting of the special committee had representation from the Police Department, the Road Transport Authority, TNSTC, Coimbatore Corporation and the Highways Department.

The committee unanimously reached at the conclusion that speed limit should be revised considering the increase in the number of vehicular population, accidents caused by overspeeding and other factors.

Approximately 500 new vehicles added to the roads of Coimbatore city a day.

The committee has further suggested to fix speed limit to 30 kmph in six stretches in the city namely Gandhipuram - Ganapathy, Sukrawarpet - Avinashi flyover, Vysial Street - Selvapuram, Cross Cut Road, 100 Feet Road and Bharathiar Road.

Enforcement

Once the speed limit of 40 kmph is notified in city roads, except on the six stretches, boards with the revised speed limit will be placed on the sides of roads. The police will then start enforcing the new speed limit.

The traffic police will conduct check speed limits of vehicles plying in city limits using speed radars.“We are already having two speed radars to check overspeeding. We are in the process of procuring five more speed radars which are expected to arrive by early in January 2019,” said Mr. Kumar.