Team-BHP - Delhi: Speed governors are now mandatory for cabs

The Delhi state transport department has made it mandatory for all cabs operating in the city to be equipped with speed governors. This step is being taken to limit the maximum speed of taxis and cabs to 80 km/h, in order to curb the rising cases of overspeeding in the national capital.

The union government, in an earlier notification, has already made installation of speed governors compulsory for all commercial vehicles in the country from October 1, 2015. However, it hasn't been implemented throughout the country till now. The Delhi government's recent decision is in line with the central government's attempts to make Indian roads a safer place to be. According to official Delhi Traffic Police data, 1,622 and 1,671 people were killed in 2015 and 2014, respectively, due to road accidents in the city, while a total of 16,000 people were injured. The government is thus trying to limit such accidents through steps like the installation of speed governors in cabs.

However, the taxi and cab owners have voiced their disapproval of the said compulsion. Drivers claim that installation of a speed governor in a vehicle costs around Rs. 10,000, which is not affordable by most cab drivers. Various taxi and cab driver unions have threatened to launch a city-wide stir if the decision isn't rolled back immediately.

Source: ET Auto

Delhi: Speed governors are now mandatory for cabs-download.jpg

Link to Team-BHP News

Quote:

Originally Posted by dZired (Post 4202917)

This is probably a superfluous step by the Transport Department of the Delhi Government. A large percentage (probably a majority) of the app-based cabs (Uber, Ola etc.) that ply in Delhi are registered in HR or UP, and enforcing the installation of speed governors (and checking whether they remain connected) would be an impossible task.

OTOH, most of these cab drivers are terrified of being caught by one of Delhi / HR / UP Traffic Police's radars, and drive below 40 kmph in 50-kmph zones, and never exceed 60 kmph in 80-kmph zones. The suspension of their driving licenses for 3 months is detrimental to their earnings, and they absolutely don't want to risk it. They'll drive rash by cutting across lanes, stop anywhere they please, or never follow lanes, but they never exceed speed limits or jump traffic lights intentionally.

In any case, with an 80-kmph speed governor installed, cabbies would still exceed speed limits in most parts of Delhi if they want to. I'd suspect the Transport Department and the Delhi Govt. are simply exploring more avenues for generating extra revenue.

This is much needed, but I would say limit it more aggressively to 60kmph, since many are permitted not even for intercity runs. Unless you need to go on the expressway you don't need 80.

Saying this because I have experienced it from both sides, in the cab and outside it. However convenient Ola and Uber are, they're turning a menace due to poor drives

Quote:

Originally Posted by agambhandari (Post 4203078)

... I have experienced it from both sides, in the cab and outside it. However convenient Ola and Uber are, they're turning a menace due to poor drives

Would like to learn more about your experiences.

Contrary to yours, my experience with all cabs in Delhi NCR is that they drive to maximise mileage and minimise traffic penalties, but more in Brownian motion than in a straight line.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report...r-cabs-2448730

Quote:

The Delhi government's transport department has put on hold its decision of making speed governors mandatory for cabs operating in the national capital.
Last week, the department had made installation of speed governors in taxis and cabs mandatory following the Union Road Transport Ministry's recent notification.
Following the department's move, several taxi unions had threatened to launch a series of protest against the AAP-led Delhi government.
Sources said that the transport department has put on hold its decision till it studies the ministry's notification and what other state governments have done on this issue.
"The department has decided to put on hold its last week's decision of making speed governor mandatory for cabs and taxis till it completes its study on the Union Road Transport Ministry's notification and the other state's stand on the issue," a source said.
The notification was intended to reduce road accidents by limiting the maximum speed of commercial vehicles.
However, taxi unions said they do not want temporary solution and if government again implements the last week's decision, they will launch protest against it.
"We will not sit silent if the government again decides to make speed governors mandatory for taxis and cabs. We want a permanent solution. A speed governor is installed at a cost of around Rs 10,000 which drivers cannot afford," Rajendra Soni, general secretary of Delhi Pradesh Taxi Union, said.
According to a Delhi Traffic Police data, 1,622 and 1,671 people were killed in road accidents in the city in 2015 and 2014 respectively, while over 16,000 people left injured in these two years.

Another knee-jerk reaction and lame move by the authorities!
They're assuming that ALL accidents are caused by cabbies and ALL of them are due to overspeeding! Do they have ANY data to support this?
Also, how is restricting speeds at 80kph going to help if the drivers itself are reckless? 80kph is sufficient speed to cause substantial damage - heck, even the Euro-NCAP crash tests are done at 64kph!

First the sunfilm ban, then the highway liquor sale ban - and now this! At the rate our authorities are going around passing such ridiculous decisions, it won't be long before we would give tough competition to N Korea!