Punjab caps max speed of vehicles at 25 kmph near schools

NEW DELHI: In a significant move, the Punjab government on Thursday notified the speed limit of all types of

vehicles

in front of schools at 25 kmph. It also notified the speed limits for all road stretches that fall under the state government’s jurisdiction including state highways and municipal roads.

Different road safety organizations had been demanding the state government to reduce the maximum speed limit for vehicles in front of schools for the safety of children. “We consistently followed up this issue with the Punjab government and finally it has happened. Now it’s for us and the enforcement agencies to ensure compliance of the rules. Safety of children and particularly around schools is crucial,” said Harpreet Singh, president of

Avoid Accident

, a Punjab based NGO working on road safety.

Though there has been no separate data on how many road fatalities occurred near schools, the latest published data by the road transport ministry for 2019 mentions that the total deaths in institutional areas was 9,812 and the number of

injured

persons was 30,180.

According to the notification by the state government, the new speed limit for different types of vehicles on the municipal roads will be in the range of 40 to 50 kmph.