The High Court of Karnataka on Wednesday directed the State transport authorities not to issue fitness certificate to any transport vehicle without ascertaining that it is fitted with a speed governor, as per the law making speed governors mandatory for certain category of transport vehicles.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar passed the interim order on a PIL petition filed by Y.N. Nanjappa, who has regularly been taking up issues related to speed of vehicles since his son’s death in a road accident in 1996.
The petitioner said the State transport authorities, in a circular issued in December 2015, have exempted installation of speed governor in certain categories of transport vehicles for which the manufacturers themselves have certified the vehicle will not move above 80 km an hour.
The petition said the circular goes against the notification issued by the Union government on installation of speed governors and also the directions issued by the High Court earlier. The petitioner said the circular was issued merely based on a representation given by the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners’ and Agents’ Associations.
