Precisely 18 years after the Supreme Court made speed governors mandatory for commercial vehicles — including school buses and goods carriers — the Capital happens to be among several Indian cities which are yet to enforce the Apex Court’s directions issued on October 1 back in the year 1997.
This, despite the fact that a significant chunk of fatal road accidents – according to several national and international studies on the subject – are found to have been triggered due to the speed of the errant vehicle. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) even issued a notification on April 15 this year, through an amendment in the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) which made the fitment of speed governors with a pre-speed of 80 kilometres mandatory on all transport vehicles manufactured on or before October 1 this year by manufacturers – but to no avail.
According to Delhi Traffic Police statistics, the government-run Delhi Transport Corporation's (DTC) own fleet was involved in 44 fatal accidents last year and around a dozen so far in 2015.
“The National Crime Records Bureau's figures state that close to 40 percent of the fatal road accidents reported in India in 2014 were caused due to speeding...In light of these and more statistics, every State should take necessary action for the implementation of the plan to install speed governors,” said Rajesh Ravi, general secretary, Suraksha Foundation, an NGO which works in the field of road safety.
