Rakesh Virwar wrote to me about the controversial topic of speed limit in Delhi, the much-debated topic, which cropped up last year but nothing as such happened. He says, “We all know that Speed limit for light vehicles is 50 KMPH and for heavy vehicles 40 KMPH. But over the period of time Delhi Roads have seen mammoth change and the general speed of traffic has increased.

“Many times you have to drive at speeds higher than limits just to keep pace with the traffic. Else people going at lower speed become a hindrance to the traffic.

“I was recently challaned for driving at 60 KMPH on Gurgaon - Dwarka, so were other unlucky drivers. While the lucky ones escaped, as the policemen could not manage to stop all. Only this time I was unlucky, I have been seeing many others being unlucky when the Police place their Speed measuring units just before a curve and place barricade just a hundreds meter. Since the general traffic is at high speed everybody falls into the trap.

“This is an easy way for Traffic police to meet their challan targets. But when would the government wake up and allow us to legally drive at speeds that are safe and suffice to traffic requirements. Even the highways displays the Speed Limits of 50/40 but we all must have hit 80 - 100 on good stretches.

“Anupam would be great if you can look at what's the legal back ground on this and how can we generate a public support for higher speeds for good roads. I am conscious of dangers of high speeds but 60/70 speed is not that dangerous and with improved quality of motors hitting Indian roads they are easily manageable.”

Even I felt the same when I was once challaned for driving at a speed of 62 kmph on the Ring Road and one of my colleague challaned for driving 72 kmph at the Ridge Road and that too on a descend.

After these two challans, I make sure to drive at 50 kmph, but then people behind me make it sure not to let me drive in peace. They keep on honking and after they have overtaken me, they even don’t resist shouting expletives. Driving within the speed limits in an empty road certainly draws everybody’s ire. But still I feel on the main arterial roads, the speed limits should be 50 kmph only. As even if one is caught driving at 55kmph, the cops let you go. Above 55 kph is a problem.

But definitely in the Ring Road, which now is to a lot of extent a signal free road, the speed limit should be raised to 65kmph otherwise there’s no point in making a signal-free road. The purpose itself will get defeated.

Regarding the highways, one just notices the signage, which shows the speed limit of vehicles but there are signages on the highways where there’s another signage, which tells you that the speed limit ends. So next time you hit the highways, check that sign board too!