Visakhapatnam: The city traffic police is chalking out plans to change the speed limit of vehicles on certain roads following feedback from motorists. The speed limit on NH-16 from Salapuvanipalem to Kurmannapalem is around 70 kmph. The traffic police is planning to increase it to 80 kmph. Similarly, the speed limit is 60 kmph on NH-16 — the stretch between Kurmannapalem and Kommadi. They are considering increasing it to 70 kmph, said Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic) K. Prabhakar.

The ACP said they are contemplating declaring a few areas in Vizag city a ‘No-Horn Zone’ following complaints from students, patients in various hospitals and tourists. “We had declared the Beach Road stretch from Naval Coastal Battery to The Park Hotel as a no-horn zone. The honking horns disturbs patients, so we will be declaring hospital zones, like the Zilla Parishad Road and the KGH road, as no-horn zones,” he added.

The ACP said the traffic police wing is now planning to ban entry of auto-rickshaws along certain roads to mitigate traffic congestion as auto-rickshaws have been blocking the roads. “However, we will consider public opinion before imposing the ban,”he said. According to a survey by Andhra University, more than 40,000 trucks and heavy vehicles pass through the city on a daily basis. Traffic police have restricted the movement of trucks. No trucks and lorries can enter the city between 8 am and 10 pm. However, industrial areas —Gajuwaka, Sheelanagar and Mindhi — are exempted from this rule.