Kerala - Kochi   

Plea to enforce High Court order on speed governors

Kochi: The failure of the State government to ensure speed governors in all heavy vehicles has led to a rise in number of accidents involving tipper lorries, according to a complaint filed before the Lok Ayukta.

A lorry involved in a recent accident in which five persons were killed did not have the speed governor. Fixing speed governors is mandatory as per a High Court ruling, the Peoples Council for Social Justice pointed out in its complaint. In the Radhakrishnan vs. State of Kerala ruling delivered in 2003, the High Court ordered the motor vehicles authorities to ensure that the permits issued to all the stage carriers and heavy vehicles should have a stipulation that the vehicles had been fitted with suitable speed governors.

The court had earlier in another case held that under Rule 369(a) of the Motor Vehicles Rules, the Regional Transport Authority was empowered to impose speed limits. The speed limit imposed should be real, effective and capable of proper supervision and control. In order to achieve the purpose, if the Regional Transport Authority insisted that electronic speed regulator devices should be installed in all private stage carriage vehicles, the court was of the view that there was nothing unreasonable or ultra vires in such a decision.

The court had taken note of the fact that it was the motor transport authority which had opined that mere physical checking by police and officials of the Road Transport Department did not ensure effective speed control and that it would be essential to control the speed of the vehicle by means other than mere physical checking. The department, after considering the various options, had decided that installation of the electronic speed regulator device was the most feasible method of effectively checking the menace of speeding. The court was of the view that such a view would only promote public good and was conducive to public safety, especially in overcrowded cities such as Kochi. Therefore, the court had upheld inclusion of a condition for installing speed governors in the permit.

Laxity alleged

The complaint said that though the government said in various affairs filed before courts that steps had been taken to implement the directive for installing speed governors in all heavy vehicles, it was done only in a half-hearted manner.

Most of the vehicles were driven without speed governors.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Plea to enforce High Court order on speed governors
Festivities abound despite price rise
Spices exports up by 6% in volume and 15% in value
Reception panel formed
When ironing becomes dearer
Encouraging innovation
Decision on team to check sand-mining soon: Minister
Alms-seeking duo steals mobile phones from offices
Displaced families of Moolampilly hold protest
In Kochi Today

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu