9.9L state vehicles get speed governors, can’t exceed 80kmph

MUMBAI: About 88.66% of the total 11.20 lakh public transport and commercial vehicles in Maharashtra will not be able to exceed the speed above 80 kilometres per hour (kmph) anymore.

As per the data from the transport department, by the end of last year, 9,93,802 commercial and public transport vehicles were installed with a speed-limiting device, commonly called the speed governor. If the driver of any such device-installed vehicle exceeds the pre-set speed limit, the fuel supply to the engine will stop.

“The remaining 11% vehicles are either not in use or could have been scrapped,” said Shekhar Channe, state transport commissioner. He added that the department is ensuring that all vehicles in commercial category have speed governors during renewal of fitness certificates.

Though commercial vehicles will not be able to exceed 80kmph, the speed limit for tankers, dumpers, school buses and hazardous goods vehicles is set at 60 kmph. Autorickshaws

and emergency vehicles including fire tenders and ambulances have been exempted from the rule, RTO officers said.

In 2015, acting on the Apex Court directive, the Centre had made speed governors mandatory for new heavy vehicles, but exempted four-wheelers less than 3,500kg.

The decision to install speedlimiting devices in already-registered vehicles was left to the states. In 2017, Maharashtra made speed governors mandatory for old vehicles.