Abu Dhabi to lift the minimum speed limit system of 120kmph on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Road (E311), aimed at improving traffic safety and easing the movement of heavy trucks, Abu Dhabi Mobility announced on Monday.
Motorists will no longer be required to maintain a minimum speed of 120km/h. Drivers on the road Monday morning also observed that the minimum speed limit marking from the signboards had been removed from the stretch. The maximum speed on this road remains 140kmph.
In April 2023, Abu Dhabi introduced minimum speed limit of 120kmph on E311. The maximum speed on this major highway was 140kmph, and the minimum speed of 120kmph was applied on the first and second lanes from the left.
Drivers who violated the minimum speed limit were fined for "driving a vehicle below the designated minimum speed for the road" and faced fines of Dh400. However, the third and the last lane from the right, used by heavy vehicles, were not under the speed regulations.
Abu Dhabi resident G Sahany was fined for driving slowly in the second lane from the left. "I was aware of the minimum speed rule, but there was a military convoy ahead that had slowed down the traffic,” he said. “I received a fine for no fault of mine, and even after raising the issue with Abu Dhabi Police, it wasn't revoked. I'm glad they are scrapping this rule.”
Another Abu Dhabi resident, AP, shared how shocked he was to receive a fine for slow driving. Recalling the day he was fined, 43-year-old expat said, “The road was extremely busy, and all the vehicles in front of me were moving slowly — it wasn’t possible to drive over 120kmph.
"I take this road to work daily, and I understand the logic behind the 120kmph minimum speed, especially to prevent drivers from being distracted by phones or driving at their pace, clogging traffic. But penalising motorists when it was physically impossible to go faster was unfair. I am relieved they have rolled back the law.”
M Mac shared the same sentiment, as he used to "keep getting fines for ‘driving below the speed limit ‘ on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road. That left me very confused, and I didn't realise why was I fined until I was told about the minimum speed rule and I read it online."
This latest change to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road follows another safety-focused initiative by Abu Dhabi Mobility aimed at improving traffic flow and road safety. Just days earlier, authorities had introduced a reduction in speed limits across major highways, including the Abu Dhabi-Sweihan Road (E20) and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed International Road (E11).
