Starting from Saturday, the maximum speed limit for all vehicles plying on the Yamuna Expressway connecting Greater Noida with Agra in Uttar Pradesh is fixed 75 km per hour from December 15, 2018 to February 15, 2019.
The decision was taken in view of number of accidents due to foggy weather condition in winter. “If vehicles found exceeding 75 km per hour speed limit, challan will be issued,” said officials. Earlier, the maximum speed limit was fixed 100 km per hour for cars and 60 km per hour for heavier vehicles.
According to officials of Yamuna Expressway, the new speed limit will be applicable from Saturday. “During winters, the number of road accidents increase due to foggy weather, which decreases visibility on the expressway road. To avoid and curb the number of accidents, the speed limit has been revised,” said officials.
The Yamuna Expressway, besides connecting Delhi to Agra through Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, touches 1,182 villages of Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahar , Aligarh, Hathras (Mahamaya Nagar) and Mathura district.
According to Yamuna expressway authority officials, the maximum speed limit of 75 km per hour will also be set on the expressway mobile app - Highway Saathi, to guide the commuters through the journey. On exceeding the speed limit, a message will be sent to the driver’s phone immediately. This app which was launched in 2017, makes driving safer on the expressway.
The app alerts the commuters about traffic snarls, accidents and public amenities and also send SOSs alerts in case of emergencies. The app also integrates the digital map of the Greater Noida-Agra Expressway. Voice-based option for queries is also available through the app. Users can upload images of an accident or an emergency, which will be shared with the expressway control room, expressway patrol, and other app users in the vicinity. This will ensure that people using the Yamuna Expressway are aware of an emerging situation, and real time assistance will be made available to the commuters in the quickest possible time.
Apart from this, in case of accidents, people can contact the toll free line, or send a message on Whatsapp. An extra arrangement of four ambulances and cranes, as precautionary measures in case of emergencies, has also been made on the expressway.
A total of 4,956 accidents were reported across the Yamuna Expressway ever since it was inaugurated. Out of these, 1,161 accidents were due to speeding while 595 were due to tyre burst. Fog across the highway caused 235 accidents while 2,965 were due to other reasons.