From November 2, Karnataka will be speed governed

The Supreme Court has directed the state government to make speed governors mandatory for all commercial vehicles and public transport vehicles. The enforcement will be effective from November 2 for new vehicles. For vehicles that are already registered, the deadline is June 1, 2012.

The state had made speed governors mandatory for public transport vehicles and commercial vehicles, including educational institutional vehicles and maxi cabs, in 2007-08 and the enforcement was supposed to begin from January 1, 2008.

While state-owned public transport organisations welcomed the step, the Commercial Vehicles Owners’ Association condemned it and the matter went to court in November 2008.

The Supreme Court heard the case on August 18 and directed the state government to make speed governors mandatory for a certain class of vehicles, conforming to the standards specified in Rule 118, Motor Vehicles Act.

Stage carriages (public transport, mainly buses), contract carriages with seating capacity exceeding eight, maxi cabs, educational institutional vehicles, motor cabs, tourist vehicles covered with permits under Sec 88(9) of Motor Vehicles Act 1988, private service vehicles and goods vehicles (except three-wheeler goods vehicles) will all have to fit speed-limiting devices in their vehicles by June next year.

The transport department has been intimated about the Supreme Court directive. Vehicles entering Karnataka from other states will also need to follow the rule from June 2012.

Pvt operators criticise order
The Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association (BTTOA), All-India Motor Transport Corporation, Maxi Cabs Association and others have raised concerns over the expected losses from fitting speed governors in their vehicles.

“This is a 25-year-old rule and is unscientific because the vehicles are technologically advanced and there is no space in the engine to fit the speed-limiting device,” said BTTOA general secretary RK Holla. He also said that most roads are four-, six-, and eight-lane, and highways and elevated toll roads have increased speed limit for vehicles.

The speed limit for maxi-cabs and tourist taxis has been specified as 40 kmph within city roads and 60 kmph on expressways, he said. Holla said most tourist cabs that head to the international airport need to stick to 80kmph. He also added that a request has been made to the state government against enforcing the order.

“We are already suffering due to constant fuel price hikes, high rate of sales tax in Karnataka and vehicles’ insurance premium, which was hiked eight times in a short span. With these conditions strangling the drivers and owners, how can the government implement this unscientific order?” said Holla.

GR Shanmugappa, president of AIMTC and Federation of Karnataka Lorry Owners Association (FOKLOA), said in a release that the travel time to Hubli from Bangalore would be around 16 hours if the speed limit device is fitted to commercial cabs.

“The speed-limit device will not just cost `15,000 extra but also will add to the diesel cost, making it inevitable for us to stop operations,” said Shanmugappa.

He also urged the apex court to revoke the order and requested the state government to think of alternatives like introducing interceptors to control speed.

Meanwhile, since the penalty for not fitting speed governors is not mentioned in the provisions of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, the motor vehicle inspectors can punish the offenders under the compound offences and levy a fine of up to Rs300.

Transport commissioner T Sham Bhatt told DNA: “As of now, we will go by the SC order and enforcement will begin as per the notification. For new vehicles, the manufacturers are making speed governors a built-in feature as per the Centre’s guidelines, but old vehicles will have to fit the device.”

There are four private companies certified by the Automotive Research Association of India—a central government institution. These four companies will be manufacturing the speed-limit devices and vehicle owners will have to purchase it from them. He said old vehicles will have to show the speed governors have been fitted when they come to renew their vehicle’s fitness certificate.

The order is also applicable to cabs hired by companies to provide conveyance to their employees.