GUILHERME ALMEIDA
MARGAO
Are the traffic cops issuing challans for violating speed limits detected by the laser radars along the National Highways in the State without any backing of the law in force?
Superintendent of Police, Traffic Dinraj Govekar says all actions initiated by the traffic police to challan speed limit violators on the highways are perfectly within the law. Officials of the National Highways, however, have point blank begged to differ. The National Highway Administration has made it clear that the countrywide notification issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on April 9, 2018 has superseded all notifications issued prior to it, including the 2008 notification issued by the district magistrate which is relied on by the traffic police to reign in on speed limits violators.
That’s not all. The National Highway Administration has disputed the very authority with which the traffic police have been issuing challans based on a 2008 speed limit issued by the South Goa district Magistrate, saying the district magistrate was no longer a competent authority to issue speed limit notification when the National Highways (Land & Traffic) control Act, 2002 was passed by Parliament in 2002 and the rules frames thereunder have come into force in 2006.
Says SP, traffic, Dinraj Govekar: “We have had discussions with the National Highway officials. The discussion on enforcing speed limits is underway with the NH officials. All I can say is that the traffic police are issuing the challans as per the notification issued by the district Collector as per the law. There is a provision in law for ratification of any notification issued by the agencies”, SP Govekar said.
National Highway Administration Senior Officer, Rajendra J Kamat, however, has categorically pointed to the Traffic Police chief that all the earlier notifications issued by the local authorities cease to be in force as far as national highway are concerned with the issuance of notification by the Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH).
In fact, in his letter to the Traffic Police, SP, the National Highway Administration has requested the
traffic police to adhere to the MoRTH notification, specially pertaining to checking of vehicular speed by use of laser radar deployed on the National highways.
In another letter made to the South Goa district Magistrate, the National Highway Administration drew attention of the district Magistrate that the traffic police are found enforcing the 2008 notification issued by the South Magistrate, even though the country wide notification for speed limit is issued by MoRTH on April 9, 2018. “The latest notification supersedes all notifications issued prior to it”, Kamat stated in his letter, further going to the extent of stating that the speed of 50km/hour is too low to be sustainable on National highways, which is resulting in public resentment and anger.
An official of the National Highway Administration told The Goan that the agency has recently told the in-charge of Traffic cell, Vasco that there are no powers allotted to the local authorities, including the district Magistrate and transport department to issue notifications of any matter relating to the National highways. “The regional Officer, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Mumbai is the sole competent authority to issue a speed limit notification and restriction end sign boards under the National Highways Land & Traffic Control Act. If the police feel that any particular stretch ought to have a prescribed speed limit, they can put up a report to the Highway Administration, including justification of such low speed of 50 km/hour on National highways, for onward submission to the Regional Officer for getting the required approval and notification”, the NH official added.
