Alarmed at the increase in number of accidents on Agra-Lucknow Expressway, officials of Uttar Pradesh Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) have decided to strictly enforce speed restrictions on vehicles passing the expressway.

The UPEIDA has decided to install speed guns at different places on the expressway to ensure that vehicles crossed the expressway in stipulated time.

A car is supposed to cover the 302-km Agra-Lucknow Expressway distance in 2 hours 35 minutes while a bus/truck should cover this distance in 3 hours 15 minutes.

“Any vehicle covering this distance in less than the stipulated time will be booked for overspeeding and the driver will be penalised,” a senior UPEIDA official told this reporter on Tuesday.

The new regulation is expected to come into effect from June.

The time of a vehicle entering the expressway will be marked and the same will be done once the vehicle leaves the expressway.

“Thus, the average speed of the vehicle will be assessed and punitive action, if needed, will be initiated against the driver, the UPEIDA official said.

The number of accidents on Agra-Lucknow Expressway has peaked in recent times. As per police records, 18 accidents are reported almost every week with seven people losing lives every fortnight, on an average. Overspeeding has been found to be the main reason of accidents.

To check overspeeding, the UPEIDA had installed speed meters at two places but smart drivers slow down the vehicle on reaching the point to escape surveillance.

“Therefore, the UPEIDA has now decided to install speed guns at different places and even ask highway patrol to randomly check speed of vehicles,” the official said.

Meanwhile, UPEIDA CEO Awanish Awasthi suggested that tea kiosks be opened at different places across the expressway where divers could be served tea free of cost. The line of thought behind this is that drivers feel sleepy at night and the kiosks will help the drivers in keeping sleep away.