Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Sep 30: The state government, under instructions from the high court, has made it mandatory for all the commercial public transport vehicles to have speed governors from Wednesday October 1. The deadline saw a few extensions in the past, but the government is not inclined to extend the date further.

In the meanwhile, an appeal preferred by the state truck owners and agents against the order, will come up for hearing in the Supreme Court today. Unless the apex court comes to the rescue of the vehicle owners, these vehicles will go on strike from Wednesday October 1, in which case consumers and companies will suffer alike. It may be pertinent to note, that around 40,000 vehicles are engaged by the call centres and IT companies for plying their employees in the city alone. If these vehicles go off the roads, it will be very difficult for these companies to manage their business, as staff attendance will be severely hit.

President of the truckers union G R Shanmugappa has stated, that further decision will be taken after knowing the fate of the review petition filed in the Supreme Court, where some orders are expected to be issued today itself, in view of the fact that making the speed governors mandatory would have national level repercussions, and vehicles not fitted with them will not be able to enter the state and even if they enter, they will face heavy penalties.

Federation of Goods Trucks Association president Tempo Babu said at a press conference convened on Monday, that indefinite strike will begin against the order to fit speed governors, from midnight today. "Even the vehicles carrying provisions, vegetables, milk etc., too will not be exempted from the strike. Newspaper vans, vehicles carrying medicines and ambulances will alone get exemption," he reiterated.

In the meantime, transport minister R Ashok has requested the truckers to withdraw their proposed strike. He said, that the state government is bound by the directives of the High Court here, and the government had written to the centre, to enforce uniform rules in the entire country, as different rules in different states are creating lot of problems. "The union government is considering bringing out a uniform rule relating to the issue of speed governors. We have received a letter from the union government, stating that it would be taking a decision as far enforcement of the speed governors is concerned and hence, asked us not to initiate any measures on this issue. We are also apprising the High Court of the contents of this letter. Therefore, the transporters should withdraw their proposed strike," he requested.