Three weeks after the Vashi RTO asked Navi Mumbai school bus owners to install speed governors before July, not a single owner has come forward for the exercise
In spite of receiving instructions from the Vashi Regional Transport Office (RTO) to install speed governors in school buses three weeks ago, not a single bus owner has obliged. Instead, the school bus owners have decided to drag the transport department to court claiming that the installation of speed limiting devices is unnecessary.
The school bus owners claim they will take the transport department to court if the rule encouraging the installation of the speed governors in buses is not revokedu00a0File Photo
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On April 20, the Vashi RTO received a letter from the transport department about the installation of these equipments. It then issued notices to all school bus owners in Navi Mumbai to install the governors in their buses from May 1. However, not one out of the 700 school bus owners in Navi Mumbai has approached the RTO regarding the installation.
Sanjay Raut, deputy regional transport officer at Vashi RTO, said that his office instructed all school bus owners about the notice a month ago, telling them about the July deadline. “Not a single school bus owner has installed the speed governor so far. They have to install them before the July deadline. We hope some school bus owners approach us for the installation over the next few days.”
The Vashi RTO says it plans to take strict action against bus owners who do not install the speed limiting devices in their buses. “Once the deadline passes, we will survey school buses to check whether they are equipped with speed governors. If we come across even one instance where the rule hasn’t been followed, we will take strong action against the owners,” said Raut.
School bus owners, however, seem adamant about not installing speed governors in school buses. Anil Garg, chairman of School bus Owners Association of Maharashtra, said the government is forcing only the bus owners to install speed governors. “Most accidents happen due to public transport vehicles,” he said.
“We are also being asked to install a door at the back of school buses, which is impractical. The government is complicit with the speed governor manufacturers. The installation of speed governors is an impractical exercise and we will unnecessarily suffer. We have decided to go to the high court against the installation. Let the court decide whether speed governor is necessary,” he added. u00a0
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