Parisar organised a stakeholder consultation in Pune on 7th August, 2024 to gather inputs on the Urban Speed Management Guidelines for Maharashtra. The meeting included 19 participants from various organisations, such as Centre for Environment Education (CEE), United Way Mumbai (UWM), Indian Road Congress (IRC), Vital Strategies, Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), World Resources Institute (WRI) India, and more. The objective of the consultation was to introduce the Urban Speed Management Guidelines and collect suggestions from all stakeholders for refining the guidelines.
Session 1: Discussion on Chapters 1 and 2
Key Points that came up during the discussion of the first two chapters were as follows:
- Data Segregation:
- Separate crash data between highways and urban areas for better analysis.
- Use heat maps for pedestrian fatality locations.
- Vehicle Impact & Speed-Related Fatalities:
- Categorise crashes by vehicle type and include data on drunk driving incidents.
- Review challans issued and enforcement equipment availability to gauge speed limit compliance.
- Public Compliance & Design Solutions:
- Assess public awareness about speed limits, set by the MH Motor Vehicles Rules.
- Recommend design solutions, such as chicanes, rumble strips, and cobbled textures, to reduce speed.
- School Zone Safety:
- Emphasise the need for a separate chapter on school zone safety guidelines.
- Environmental and Public Health Impact:
- Highlight the environmental impacts of speeding (air/noise pollution).
- Public Engagement & Educational Integration:
- Propose media involvement and school curriculum integration to increase road safety awareness.
Session 2: Discussion on Chapters 3 and 4
Key Points that came up during the discussion of the next two chapters were as follows:
- Pedestrian Signals & Local Photos:
- Stress the importance of pedestrian signals and include local photos to contextualise data.
- Infrastructure & Road Design:
- Develop infrastructure specific to urban intersections and roads. Use iRAD data for better decision-making.
- Address gaps in road design, such as at Chandani Chowk, Pune.
- Speed Limits and Enforcement:
- Recommend setting speed limits based on road design and context.
- Suggest logical speed limit charts for different street categories, zones, and vehicle types.
- Stakeholder Involvement:
- Define the roles of authorities like ULBs, PWD, Traffic Police, and DRSC for speed limit enforcement and road design improvements.
- Special Zones & Risk Identification:
- Create risk profiles for vulnerable road users and suggest special speed limits for schools and cycle lanes.
- Monitoring & Evaluation:
- Propose involving local bodies and the DRSC for speed audits and statutory approvals.
The consultation ended with a group photo and a plan for incorporating feedback into the advocacy efforts. Ranjit Gadgil, Programme Director of Parisar outlined the next steps in finalising the Urban Speed Management Guidelines. For any further details, please write to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
A similar consultation was held in Mumbai. Click here to access the details of the consultation.