PANAJI: The uncertainty over the decision of the central government to grant further relaxation in the deadline to install speed governors to commercial vehicles, the lack of related infrastructure with the state transport department, and the election code of conduct in force, which has slowed down the working of government departments may all collectively delay the implementation of the department’s notification issued on August 16, 2016 under sub-rule (2) of the rule 118 of the Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 specifying the type of vehicles to be fitted with a speed governor, with a maximum speed of 80 kms per hour.
As per this notification, the transport department has mandated installation of speed governors on all commercial vehicles with state permit, national goods permit and all-India tourist permit including buses, trucks and those tourist taxis having nine passenger seats including driver. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had earlier issued a notification amending the Central Motor Vehicles (sixth amendment) Rules, 2015 substituting Rule 118 to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The state governments were also asked to issue related notification.
The assistant director of transport Prakash Azavedo, who is presently holding the additional charge of the department director Sunil Masurkar, who is currently posted on election duty, stated that the central government had given relaxation up till January 31, 2017, for installation of the speed governors to the commercial vehicles. “Now that the deadline for relaxation is over, and the central government has not extended the same, our registration authorities have started the implementation of the speed governor notification,” he maintained.
Speaking further, Azavedo said that there are some infrastructural difficulties before the implementation of the particular notification. “In fact, the owners of the commercial vehicles, including passenger and goods vehicles, are expected to purchase the speed governor manufactured by the company of their choice and install the same,” he added, pointing out that the speed governors however need to be approved by ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India) as per the prescribed specifications.
Presently five to six companies produce the necessary speed governors in the country. The cost of installing a speed governor roughly comes to Rs 15,000. The transport department has not appointed any speed governors fitters or any retailer who will provide the device and offer fitment services, as it does not have the related infrastructure.
The assistant director of transport also stated that in phase two, the luxury cars would be asked to install speed governors. “As is the case, such cars already have many gadgets installed in them, and installing speed governor would not be very difficult task for their owners,” he noted.
Meanwhile, the president of the Goa Tempo Owners Association Prakash Naik said that the association has presented a memorandum to the government as regards omitting all commercial vehicles, which are less than 12-year-old, from installing the speed governors. “We have no problem if the government makes it compulsory for over-12-years-old vehicles to fit these gadgets,” he added, pointing out that presently a number of owners of the commercial goods vehicles, whose vehicles are queued up for renovation of their registration are facing inconveniences, due to the compulsion for fitting speed governors.
A delegation of the Goa Tempo Owners Association led by the former Fatorda MLA Damu Naik had met the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Monday requesting him that the government should exempt the commercial vehicles that are less than 12-years-old. Naik further said that the Chief Minister told the delegation to exercise some patience as he is unable to take any decision due to the election code of conduct. “The Chief Minister indicated that the next government would be able to decide on the issue,” he informed.