BANGALORE: Even as the state government is insistent on private commercial vehicle operators installing speed governors in their vehicles before June 1, the state -run BMTC, which runs a fleet of over 6,000 buses is conveniently silent on the issue and is exploring means to get exemption from the rule. According to chief mechanical engineer of BMTC Anand, the BMTC has adopted its own method to restrict the speed by controlling the RPM (rotations per minute) of the engine and hence does not need to install speed governors. At present, the RPM method is being used in older buses while new buses are fitted with the speed governors. “RPM is a proven method that increases fuel efficiency as well,” he said . However, this decision has private operators up in arms as they claim that if BMTC can implement alternative systems, they should also be allowed to do the same. “BMTC is not following any rules. Why should our engines be damaged on purpose while they are not installing speed governors?,” asked RK Holla, General Secretary of the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association. When asked, officials of the Transport Department questioned the method and said that the State Government notification made it clear that speed governors were compulsory in all commercial vehicles. “The State Government has no powers to exempt BMTC buses from the SC directive. The government may try and exempt a certain class of vehicles in the city from the rule, but this exemption would also apply to private vehicles (buses),” said a senior official. The official added that the Transport Department had not been approached for exemption. Traffic Expert M N Sreehari had submitted a report to BMTC in which he had stated that buses within the city do not need speed governors since they rarely go above 30 KMPh. However, BMTC MD K A Srinivas in November had gone on record saying that BMTC would still go ahead with installation of speed governors. “Drivers are trying to bypass the systems in order to stick to their schedules in the newer buses. Only a few older buses have speed governance,” Sreehari said. The cost of fitting a speed governor to a BMTC bus is estimated to be between `15- `20,000. Srinivas, claiming ignorance of the rule, told Express, “Any method that can restrict speed of the bus is a speed governor. I shall look into the matter and we will claim exemption from the state government if needed.” The cost of fitting speed governors for more than 6,000 buses including 544 volvo buses will be around `10 crore for BMTC.
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