Nitin Gadkari says no challan for speeding up to 20% over the limit: What he told officials, when challans should be issued & what motorists must know

Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has asked officials to take a more lenient approach towards speeding on expressways, saying motorists should not receive challans if they exceed the permitted speed limit by up to 20%. Those crossing that threshold should be issued challans, he said. Earlier, speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Conference on Highways, Gadkari said he had directed officials to allow speeds of up to 120 kmph on expressways and issue challans only when motorists exceed the applicable speed limit by more than 20%.

“I have directed my officials to allow speed limits of up to 120 km per hour and only issue challans in cases where speed limit exceeds 20% higher than this,” Gadkari said.

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He also said he had asked officials not to send notices to motorists who exceed the speed limit by up to 20%. “If someone goes beyond that, issue a challan,” he said.

The remarks come as the government uses AI-based inspection and enforcement systems to improve road safety and encourage lane discipline. The minister's comments, however, should not be taken as a blanket exemption from existing speed limits on every expressway. Motorists should follow the applicable speed limit and traffic rules on their route.

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Nitin Gadkari warns contractors over poor highway quality

Gadkari also issued a warning to contractors and consultants responsible for poor-quality highway construction and maintenance, saying the government would take strict action against those failing to meet standards.

“Every pothole will be accounted for,” he said, adding that contractors could face blacklisting, bans and financial penalties. He also warned that action against companies could affect their share prices.

The minister said he had personally monitored highway maintenance over the past few months and that social media posts had helped officials identify quality-related problems.

“Social media posts have been helpful in flagging quality issues on highway stretches, and I urge the public to post these problems on social media so that officials cannot hide them,” Gadkari said.

“Contractors, consultants and officials have been exposed. I don’t spare anyone. Now contractors are afraid of being blacklisted and of a fall in their share prices. I will review all projects and will not compromise on quality at any cost,” he added.

Gadkari claimed that his monitoring had led to a 30% reduction in such issues. He said Network Survey Vehicles (NSVs) deployed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the road transport and highways ministry record road-quality problems, including potholes.

Gadkari calls opposition to E20 petrol a 'paid campaign'

The minister also defended the government's ethanol-blending programme, describing the recent backlash against E20 petrol as a “paid campaign”.

E20 petrol contains 20% ethanol blended with petrol. Gadkari argued that ethanol blending could help India reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels and save foreign exchange.

“Three months ago, a huge noise was made against the E20 (20% ethanol and 80% petrol) fuel; now rage against E20 fuel is over. It was a paid campaign,” he said.

His comments came a day after the government notified changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, allowing flex-fuel vehicles capable of running on blends containing up to E100, or nearly pure ethanol.

Separately, Union petroleum and natural gas minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Tuesday that the Centre had no immediate plan to raise ethanol blending in petrol beyond the current 20%. Speaking at the inauguration of the 29th Energy Technology and Innovation Meet in South Goa, Puri also said misinformation was being spread about biofuels.

India plans major investment in tunnel infrastructure

Gadkari urged the industry to develop tunnel-boring machinery and other heavy equipment domestically, as India plans investments of up to Rs 8 lakh crore in tunnel projects over the next five years.

The proposed investments are expected to cover tunnels for metro rail lines, hydropower projects and other infrastructure developments.

The push for domestic manufacturing comes after China announced new export controls on key machinery, including tunnel-boring machines (TBMs), for India, effective November 18. The development has prompted the Centre to consider incentives for domestic manufacturers of heavy infrastructure equipment.


Inputs from agencies