Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysuru City Police have set maximum speed limits for vehicles on the 42.5-kilometre Outer Ring Road. This move aims to ensure safety of motorists and everyone using the roads.

The speed limit for vehicles such as cars, jeeps and taxis has been set at 60 kmph, while buses and bikes are restricted to 50 kmph. Lorries, trucks, light goods vehicles like goods autos and regular autorickshaws can travel at a maximum speed of 40 kmph, with tractor-category vehicles limited to 20 kmph.

Signboards have been installed along the Outer Ring Road, especially on the medians from the Manipal Hospital Junction on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway to the Nanjangud Road Junction, from Nanjangud Road Junction to Srirampura and Dattagalli Junctions, and from Dattagalli Junction to the Hinkal Flyover, continuing to the Metagalli Junction, and back to the Manipal Hospital Junction.

To catch violators, cameras have been set up along the Outer Ring Road as part of the Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS). Penalty notices are sent directly to the mobile phones of the owners of vehicles that breach these speed limits.

Commuters criticise move

However, frequent commuters on the Ring Road have expressed dissatisfaction with the 60 kmph speed limit for cars. “The Ring Road was designed with additional service roads to divert Highway traffic away from the city centre and provide a quicker alternative route. But a 60-kmph speed limit defeats the very purpose of the Ring Road. This does not mean that we can travel at break-neck speed. But the Police must be reasonable,” said one commuter.

“The Police must realise it’s 2024 and today’s vehicles are far more advanced, quicker and easier to control than before. While I understand the need for safety and driver education, and acknowledge the unfortunate accidents on the Ring Road due to overspeeding, imposing such a low speed limit is simply illogical,” he added.

“Before specifying the speed, the Traffic Police should have conducted a survey and sought the opinion of regular travellers. They should make decisions based on logic and reasoning instead of arbitrary decisions. The speed limit for cars must be at least 80 kmph like all the ring roads in other places. The District Road Safety Committee must take a call on this,” said another regular commuter.

As per Road Safety Committee directives: ACP Traffic

The issue of frequent accidents on the Outer Ring Road came up during the last Road Safety Committee meeting where the Deputy Commissioner discussed the issue and suggested enforcing the speed limits for all vehicles, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Parashuramappa.

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, he said that the speed limits are as per the directions of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Vehicles violating the speed limits are being penalised as they are caught by Artificial Intelligence cameras that have been installed on the Ring Road. Signboards indicating the speed limits have been installed on the Ring Road and even on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway.