‘Enforce rules on speed governors’ installation in motor vehicles’

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar before whom the PIL from V Kannan an advocate came up for hearing also directed both the Centre and state to file their counter affidavits within four weeks. The bench also directed the petitioner to file a rejoinder within two weeks and posted the matter for further hearing to October 23. 

The petitioner on pointing out that in the first three months of 2017 alone as many as 4,148 people had lost their lives in road accidents mainly owing to vehicles being driven beyond the prescribed speed level, said despite the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highway making installation of speed governors in certain motor vehicles compulsory with effect from July 01, 1993, its enforcement has left a lot to be desired. 

Noting that while another notification on October 1, 2015, made installation of speed governors mandatory in every transport manufactured on or after the above date, the petitioner stressed that various efforts made by the authorities to implement it have been periodically resisted by users moving various courts, including the Supreme Court.

Stating that it is pertinent that the rule requires that speed governors ought to be fixed in an unbreakable sealed manner, the petitioner said that every speed governor has a unique serial number and sought for verification of the relevant records of speed governors fixed in motor vehicles. 

He also sought for a direction to the authorities to ensure installation of sealed, irremovable and tamperproof speed governors of prescribed standard in all motor vehicles.