THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The directive of the State Transport Commissioner to install speed governors for all stage carriers and heavy transport vehicles plying in the State from Saturday has come in for stiff opposition from private bus operators and owners of heavy transport vehicles. The private bus operators and owners of other heavy transport vehicles are up in arms against installing speed governors citing its drawbacks and demanding more time. The tanker lorries had already decided to resort to an indefinite stir from Friday night.

A top official of the Motor Vehicles Department told The Hindu that the directive had been issued on the basis of the undertaking given in the Supreme Court. As directed by the State Transport Commissioner, Regional Transport Officers and Joint Transport Officers would take action against those who had not installed the gadget.

As per Section 118 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, speed governors of "BIS 018" standard have to be installed. The gadget would have to be sealed by the RTO or Joint RTO to prevent tampering. It would have to be endorsed in the Registration Certificate also.

Apart from the 4,500-odd buses of the KSRTC, speed governors have to be installed in 20,000-odd stage carriers, 75,000-odd trucks plying in the State. It had been installed only in 800 odd buses of the KSRTC and over 100 private buses. The gadgets as prescribed in the rules, cost over Rs.15,000, and are in short supply. The department has not spelled out what action it would take in the case of buses and heavy transport vehicles coming from adjoining States. Already, many trucks owned by those hailing from Kerala had been registered in North-Eastern States. The MVD official said the department was to file a review petition within a couple of days before the Supreme Court citing the drawbacks and the difficulties in enforcing it.

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