- Minister advocated AI use, eased highway speeding enforcement.
- Gadkari defended E20 fuel amid criticism, citing no breakdowns.
- Amended rules permit E100 use for compatible flex-fuel vehicles.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has called for greater use of artificial intelligence in highway traffic management, while defending the government’s ethanol-blending programme amid criticism over E20 petrol.
Speaking at a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) event on the future of India’s highways, Gadkari said he had instructed authorities not to issue speeding challans to vehicles travelling at up to 120 kmph. He also said motorists exceeding this speed by up to 20% should be let off, with challans issued beyond that threshold, reported The Indian Express.
The minister also questioned the criticism of E20 petrol, describing the controversy as “paid propaganda”. His remarks came after the government amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to allow compatible flex-fuel vehicles to operate on blends containing up to 100% ethanol.
AI-Based Traffic Monitoring On Highway Network
Gadkari urged industry representatives to support the implementation of an AI-based Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS), which could help authorities identify lane-discipline violations and improve traffic enforcement.
On speeding penalties, the minister said he had directed officials to refrain from issuing notices for speeds of up to 120 kmph. He added that motorists travelling up to 20% above that speed should also be spared penalties.
“Some people are receiving notices on the road due to speed. I have instructed that no notices should be sent for speeds up to 120 kmph. And even above 120, if someone exceeds it by 20%, let them go. If someone goes beyond this, issue a challan,” he said.
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E20 Petrol Row: Gadkari Questions Claims Of Vehicle Breakdowns
Turning to the debate over ethanol-blended petrol, Gadkari challenged critics to substantiate concerns about vehicle reliability.
“Since 2022, 4 crore cars and 20 crore two-wheelers have been running on E20 fuel. Three months back, there was a lot of uproar (halla) over ethanol. Now everything has gone quiet. E20 is being used since 2022, has anyone’s vehicle broken down yet? This was entirely paid propaganda,” he said at the CII event.
E20 is a blend containing 20% ethanol and 80% petrol. Its adoption has drawn criticism from some motorists over concerns about the suitability of higher ethanol blends for older vehicles.
India mandated E20 compatibility for all new petrol-powered vehicles from 2023. The blend is now widely available at petrol pumps across the country.
E100 Fuel Rules: Not All Petrol Vehicles Are Compatible
The debate over ethanol blending comes as the government has widened the range of fuels that eligible vehicles can use.
A day before Gadkari’s remarks, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways amended the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to allow flex-fuel vehicles to run on blends containing up to 100% ethanol, known as E100.
However, the change does not make E100 suitable for every petrol-powered vehicle. As clarified by the ministry in the supplied report, E85 and E100 can be used only in vehicles specifically designed by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as flex-fuel vehicles.
Vehicles designed for conventional petrol or E20 are not automatically compatible with these higher ethanol blends.
The amendment could support the development of flex-fuel vehicle components, ethanol production infrastructure and the wider deployment of compatible vehicles. The government has promoted ethanol blending as a way to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels and conserve foreign exchange.
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