New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know

Anyone who has driven on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway during the evening rush knows the feeling. You cruise along at highway speeds, only to slam the brakes near Akshardham as traffic suddenly grinds to a halt.

Now, researchers believe the answer may not be building more lanes. It may simply be asking drivers to slow down earlier.

Beginning around August 15, an 8.7-km stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway between Sarai Kale Khan and the Uttar Pradesh border is set to become India's first real-world test of Variable Speed Limits (VSL), a traffic management system already used in countries such as the US, UK and Germany.

Variable Speed Limits: How slowing down could actually make you reach faster

The idea may sound counterintuitive. Instead of letting vehicles race toward a bottleneck before everyone brakes simultaneously, electronic signboards will lower speed limits in advance when traffic starts building up. The objective is to keep vehicles moving at a steady pace and prevent the stop-and-go waves that create traffic jams.

Think of thousands of people trying to leave a packed stadium. If everyone rushes to the exit together, movement slows dramatically. But if the crowd is staggered before reaching the gates, everyone gets out more smoothly. Researchers say traffic can behave much the same way.

India's first variable speed limit trial

The pilot is being carried out by Prof. Satish Chandra of IIT Roorkee and Dr Chalumuri Ravi Sekhar, Director of CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), with funding from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Unlike conventional speed limit boards, the new electronic displays will be linked to traffic sensors and cameras. Instead of displaying one fixed limit throughout the day, they will automatically adjust permissible speeds depending on traffic conditions.

Currently, cars on this stretch face a fixed speed limit of 70 kmph, while heavy vehicles are restricted to 50 kmph, regardless of traffic.

• Under the pilot, recommended speeds will change during the day:
• 12 am to 7 am: 65 kmph for cars, 50 kmph for heavy vehicles
• 7 am to 5 pm: 55 kmph for cars, 45 kmph for heavy vehicles
• 5 pm to 12 am: 60 kmph for cars, 40 kmph for heavy vehicles

Built on real traffic data

The proposal is based on an analysis of 72 hours of traffic footage collected near Akshardham Plaza in July 2024.

Researchers found that cars account for over 80 per cent of traffic on the corridor, while heavy vehicles contribute between 4 and 12 per cent.

Traffic rises steadily through the day before peaking during the evening office rush, when the expressway frequently slips into stop-and-go congestion.

Using internationally accepted traffic engineering methods, the team also calculated the speeds at which most motorists naturally travel during congestion, helping design the dynamic limits.

Can you get Challans during the trial?

Electronic VSL boards will be installed near the Akshardham interchange in both directions.

To ensure drivers follow the displayed speeds, Delhi Traffic Police has been asked to enforce the changing limits through challans (traffic tickets) during the pilot.

Researchers will evaluate the system after 30, 90 and 120 days, comparing traffic flow, congestion levels, speed variations and driver compliance.

Could this change how Indian expressways are managed?

If the pilot succeeds, variable speed limits could be introduced on other expressways across the country.

Rather than relying only on expensive road widening projects, dynamic speed management could offer a cheaper way to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow and enhance road safety, while helping shape national guidelines for the technology's wider rollout.