RTA INACTION: NO SPEED GOVERNORS YET

Despite all its brave talk of introducing stringent measures to ensure safety on highways, the Road Transport Authority has failed to introduce at least one important measure-fitting speed governor on buses and lorries.

Faced by opposition from private bus owners, the RTA seems to have caved in. This despite evidence of several tragic accidents involving rashly driven buses, the most recent claiming 31 lives last month.

“We have been trying to introduce speed governors but have faced strong opposition from lorry owners. The RTC has also expressed its inability to introduce speed governors for their 3,800 strong fleet as that would cost a huge amount. Each speed governor costs between `10,000 to `12,000,” said an RTA official.

Owners of heavy vehicles argue that speed governors available in the market are not effective for more than a month or two and manufacturers of heavy vehicles say that installation of speed governors should be done at the factory itself.

They say that fixing governors on old vehicles interfered with the overall operation of the vehicle.

The fact is that there is no political will to make speed governors mandatory.

Earlier this year, transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana, at a review meeting on road safety measures, had stressed on the need to fit speed governors in heavy vehicles systematically. The intention has remained unfulfilled to date.