The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Speed governors across State

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Tuesday, Jan 08, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Speed governors across State

S. Sandeep Kumar

Fixture to be sealed by the authorities to prevent tampering

Court convinced with Government decision
Installation of governors mandatory

Hyderabad: The mandatory installation of speed governors in school buses, light commercial vehicles and maxi cabs that was hitherto restricted to Hyderabad, Nalgonda and Chittoor districts will now be extended to the entire State and to all transport vehicles, including call centre cabs.

A GOMs no 362 was issued on December 28 instructing the Transport Department to implement the order from January, 2008.

Fuel flow

Speed governor, an equipment that regulates fuel flow into the engine thereby restricting the speed to 65 kmph, will cost between Rs. 8,000 and Rs. 18,000. The fixture will be sealed by the RTA authorities to prevent tampering.

Court order

Speed governors were made mandatory for maxi cabs, heavy vehicles and school buses in January, 2007, through GOMs. No 239. However, with vehicle owners filing writ petitions against the additional cost to be incurred in installing the equipment and questioning the logic in setting a maximum speed limit of 65kmph in the city where motorists hardly hit 50 kmph, the High Court ordered a halt in further implementation of the order.

But in view of the road safety and increasing number of accidents, the High Court was convinced with the Government decision and ordered the department to make installation of speed governors mandatory for all transport vehicles registered and plying in the State, said Joint Transport Commissioner C. L. N Gandhi.

New vehicles

It is also mandatory for manufacturers to install speed governors in the new vehicles from this year and the existing transport vehicle owners would be asked to install the equipment when they apply for renewal or change of permit (done once in five years).

Renewal

Functioning of the equipment would be checked annually when the vehicle owners apply for annual renewal of fitness certificate, explained Mr. Gandhi.

The RTA will cancel the fitness certificate of the vehicles if they are not fitted with speed governors before the deadline.

A penalty of Rs. 1,000 for first time offence and Rs. 2,000 for subsequent offences can be imposed.

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Andhra Pradesh