HYDERABAD: In all likelihood, the maximum speed limit on the Outer Ring Road would be raised to 120 kmph. Talks between the state road transport department, Cyberabad traffic police and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) are in progress, following a notification from the Union government to increase the speed limits on expressways, national highways and urban roads.
In view of increasing fatal accidents on the ORR, the Cyberabad police had earlier issued a notification reducing the speed limit on the ORR from 120 km per hour to 100 kmph.
The police had notified that the speed for two lanes (first and second) should be between a minimum of 80 kmph and a maximum of 100 kmph, while the third and fourth lanes at 40 kmph.
In 2017, about 126 accidents, 43 of them fatal, took place on the Outer Ring Road which passes through Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerate limits. Thirty-one persons died in Cyberabad and 21 in Rachakonda limits. In 2016, fifty-seven persons died in 48 accidents on ORR.
Observing that overspeeding is the prime reason for the accidents, followed by irregular parking on the lanes, the Cyberabad police issued a notification in May 2017 regulating the speed of vehicles on ORR. Since January this year about 20 accidents have taken place, killing 10 persons.
After a notification by the Union government in February this year, a meeting was held by officials of Cyberabad police, HMDA and road transport department to discuss the issues that need to be addressed to increase the speed limit on ORR. However, the officials wanted to take a decision on it only after analysing the risk factors and types of accidents, and the measures that needed to be taken.
Cyberabad DCP (traffic) SM Vijay Kumar said that another meeting was held in the first week of April with officials from other departments like HMDA and road transport department. "According to the notification, the speed limit on ORR, which falls in the Expressway category, has to be 120 kmph while the speed limit on urban roads will be 70 kmph. A decision to increase the speed limit will be taken after further meetings," the DCP said.