Kerala Revises Speed Limits on Six-Lane National Highways

Kerala has once again revised the speed limits on its six-lane National Highways. The state government has reset the speed limits for M1 category vehicles (those with no more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat) and M2 & M3 category vehicles (those with nine or more seats in addition to the driver’s seat) on these roads. For M1 category vehicles, the speed limit has been reduced from 110 kmph to 100 kmph. For M2 & M3 category vehicles, the speed limit has been decreased from 95 kmph to 90 kmph, as per a gazette notification issued by the Transport Department.

The initial revised speed limits were introduced in June 2023 in accordance with a Government of India notification from April 2018. However, following the intervention of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the speed limits have been adjusted again. The NHAI informed that the six- and four-lane roads developed under NHAI in Kerala, which have a maximum speed of 100 kmph, are not fully access controlled. Thus, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways did not permit traffic signboards indicating a maximum speed of 110 kmph/95 kmph for M1, M2 & M3 category vehicles.

As per the revised speed limits issued in June 2023, the speed limit for M1 and M2 & M3 category vehicles on NH-four lane roads remains at 100 kmph and 90 kmph, respectively. The new speed limits for NH-six lane roads are now set at 100 kmph for vehicles with not more than eight seats and 90 kmph for vehicles with nine or more seats.