With almost all the omni buses in Coimbatore numbering 120 completing the installation of speed governors, the speed being fixed at 90 kmph, the Transport Department has found their compliance level almost 100 per cent.
Officials of the department said that following accidents involving omni buses claiming more lives and in the wake of the accident near Vellore recently, the Transport Department began cracking the whip by instructing the operators to install speed governors and have emergency exit provision in the buses.
Surprise checks
Motor Vehicle Inspectors and Regional Transport Officers are ensuring the compliance at the starting point as well as at the terminating point of the buses besides en-route surprise checks.
According to K.N. Uthayanun, Deputy Transport Commissioner, whenever the omni buses are brought to the RTO office for renewal of fitness certificate or any other transaction, their compliance to these regulations is checked.
As on date, all the 120 buses have complied with the directive in Coimbatore.
In case of buses registered elsewhere and operated in Coimbatore, they are being checked and the original registering authority is being informed.
In terms of emergency exits, it was also being ensured that tools such as hammer were kept in the bus in a visible place to break the glass for escape of passengers in the event of an accident.
Prominent display of emergency exit provision was also being checked, he said.
The Department was also planning measures to ensure that even buses registered in neighbouring States complied with the directive for operating their fleets inside Tamil Nadu.
