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.