the goan I network
MARGAO
The issue of the controversial speed governors has returned back to haunt the transport authorities again as it has brought them face to face with South Goa tourist taxi operators who are in an agitated mode yet again.
The operators have now knocked the doors of the transport authorities with a plea to exempt them from installing the governors and to issue fitness certificates to all the taxis which have not installed the speed-limit devices till date.
They contended that they should not to be punished for the fault of the car manufacturers and dealers for not installing the speed governors for commercial vehicles.
Led by the President of South Goa Tourist Taxi Association Vincy Carvalho, the tourist taxi operators requested Assistant Transport Director, Prakash Kholkar, to issue fitness certificates for their vehicles since many a car
manufacturer as well as speed-limit device dealers has not fitted the governors in their vehicles as per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court.
Kholkar gave the delegation a patient hearing, sympathising on the points raised by the operators, but requested them to list out their grievances in writing and promised to forward the same to the State transport authority, the agency that has made the speed governors mandatory.
He told the delegation that the RTO officials would inspect their vehicles, but their passing would depend on the instructions his office will receive from the head office. “The tourist taxi operators have contended that neither the manufacturers nor the dealers have installed the speed governors in the vehicles as per the SC guidelines. I have told them to give their problems in writing so that they are addressed by the higher-ups,” Kholkar added.
The taxi association president Vincy Carvalho later told the media that major car manufacturers such as Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Suzuki have categorically maintained that they will not install the speed limit devices as they do
not supply nor install these devices.
“The car manufacturers sell cars with in-built SLDs only in certain models which they manufacture, adding that the government of Goa has not empanelled any vendor/dealer/manufacturer for providing/installing SLD for
sale in Goa. This is a serious issue as poor quality SLDs
can put people’s lives at risk,” he added.
While contending that the SLD dealers do not take any responsibility or liability for the damage caused to the car in case of failure of the SLD unit, the taxi association General Secretary Roque Fernandes said the department has to clarify if installing an SLD in an existing car is not a violation of section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Demanding that tourist taxi vehicles, both old and new should be exempted from the speed governors, Roque told the media that certain cars such as Accent and Chevrolet, Corrola, Esteem and Ciaz don’t have any provision whatsoever to install an SLD unit.
“The tourist taxi operators have opted for self-employment because the government cannot provide us jobs. But, issues such as the speed governors, which have not been addressed effectively, threatens our very livelihood,” Roque said.
He pointed out many Goan youth have migrated to Europe and other countries for want of jobs back at home, even inviting remarks from certain quarters that they are going abroad to clean toilets. “If the government is serious, they should streamline the administration to facilitate the youth to make a living without any hassles,” he said.
