Berhampur: Even as the government has mandated installation of speed governors in passenger and freight vehicles to curb road mishaps, lack of a mechanism to check the functionality of the devices has rendered the plan ineffective. According to reports, most accidents occur due to overspeeding, a concern that has prompted the government to mandate installation of speed-limiting devices in passenger and freight vehicles. The government has even warned not to issue fitness certificates to vehicles without speed governors. However, these warnings have remained only in pen and paper.
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Most vehicles continue to flout norms with impunity owing to the lack of a strict monitoring mechanism. Officials have reported that speed governors are installed in vehicles with the sole purpose of getting fitness certificates. Many vehicles with speed governors fail to meet fitness certification requirements, as these devices are often either non-functional or not checked post-installation. Reports said that there are 57,000 registered trucks and 498 buses in Ganjam district. According to regional transport officer (RTO) Manas Ranjan Sahu, all vehicles are fitted with speed governors. However, there is no consistent mechanism to ensure they are operational. Data on how many vehicles have active speed governors is unavailable, Sahu said. Cases are being filed against drivers operating vehicles without functional speed governors. Around 30-40 cases are registered every month, said sources. Despite rules, vehicle owners and drivers often neglect on maintenance of these devices after obtaining fitness certificates. This leads to frequent mishaps. Recently, a collision between an OSRTC bus and a minibus at Digapahandi in Ganjam district June 25 was attributed to over speeding. Last year, out of 630 vehicles inspected for fitness in Ganjam, many were found without speed governors. As a result, they were disqualified for fitness certificates. Additionally, the RTO office retrofitted speed governors on 4,345 older vehicles in 2024. According to Transport Department, speed governors are essential for limiting vehicle speeds as per road-specifi c regulations. However, enforcement of these rules remains slack. Ganjam SP Sarvana Vivek M emphasised the need for stricter checks to ensure all vehicles have functional speed governors, highlighting their critical role in preventing overspeeding and related accidents.
