[drmohitg]

Not sure if they can do 150 per se but last time I was driving from Rajkot to Ahmedabad in my Altis at approximately 120kmph. And this volvo just wooshed past me with utmost ease. My ego got hurt a little and I did try chasing it down but gave up after a km as it was really doing good speeds. So might be possible for it to touch 150kmph on a deserted but familiar stretch.

[prasadee]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

A multi axle volvo can easily push 170 plus when empty,

That would justify the fine right? They are putting several lives at risk here by doing crazy speeds that the system is not designed for. Little does an uneducated farmer who needs to cross the highway to go to his fields, know about these speeds. Till we have a system where these people can get to where they want to, and till we educate people about the dangers of speeding vehicles.

I see youngsters speeding on super bikes overtaking speeding multi axle Volvos on Bangalore-Tumkur NH4, and even Bangalore Mysore road on weekends. Several innocent lives are being subject to enormous amount of risk here. We need to respect the laws of the land, and recognize the limitations of the system that we live in.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

And this volvo just wooshed past me with utmost ease. My ego got hurt a little and I did try chasing it down but gave up after a km as it was really doing good speeds.

Ego can be a dangerous thing, good it got hurt just a little

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Wow! The Bus was actually trapped on the cameras and on the radars doing high speeds and the driver fined and that too in India

Most of these police 'checkposts' have cameras now. I think they have radar at only a few places. How did they catch this bus at so many locations, at night?

I thought these cameras work properly only during the day!

[sinharishi]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

I thought these cameras work properly only during the day!

If these are Laser Infrared Night vision cameras with good range ,they can easily trap a vehicle at night also. If I am not wrong these can trap your speed from a range of a Kilometer .

There should be a prior warning board before the Radars/Cameras. In Europe, every 1000 Meters before the Radar/Camera there is a warning sign.

[nitinbose]

Originally Posted by rajeev k

The team led by Kerala State Transport Commissioner Mr Rishi Raj Singhon the prowl these days to book traffic rules violating motorists. But even this Commissioner has not set his eyes yet on motorists who blind others with their powerful head lamps in full high blast. Many poor pedestrians get in between this high lux lights unnoticed and their lives are in real danger.

Hope he opens his eyes against these powerful lights.

I heard this has already started. One of my good friends was telling me motorists were being caught left and right for installing LEDs, fog lamps, etc. They were also being asked to remove them on the spot.
I read from one of the newspapers that this exercise would continue till 12th September.

A bus doing 170kph is outrageous considering the India road conditions where you can have people or vehicles simply popping into the highway. Having said that, its high time the maximum speed limit to be increased from 70kph to something like 110kph on highways that cross towns/cities. Within city limits this can be 60kph. Apart from this, pedestrians and motorists must also be enlightened on how to walk on the road, cross the road and driving on the roads, practices to follow when entering a main road from a side road, roundabout behavior etc. Roads/highways are meant for vehicles to be driven and NOT for pedestrians to walk. Pedestrians must be enlightened and training must start from school level.

The situation would improve only then; its of no use stopping a few people to collect revenue.

[narendra_urs]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

A multi axle volvo can easily push 170 plus when empty, my friend(in a Cruze) had a tough time trying to overtake one of these on the way to Bangalore. 150 is certainly possible on a straight empty stretch, wherever it is on NH 47.

PS not promoting street racing here, just stating the facts.

Cruze can easily breeze past anything doing the speed that you've mentioned. Anyways, even a multi-axle Volvo are tuned to do a top speed of about 135 kmph.

[gopu.g]

Mod Note : There are several spelling & grammatical errors in your posts. This negatively affects the forum experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use spell-checkers.

[Hurrycane12]

Whether the bus was doing 150 or 170 kmph that's not the point, he was over speeding and was caught on camera / radar and was fined. There are fatalities which happen when vehicles are even on 100 kmph, I think driving within the speed limits may aviod accidents as i am not totally ruling them out.

This is a good initiative and should not get dumped for any reason, wish they fine offenders in all kind of vehicles and not give leeway to influential people.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by prasadee

That would justify the fine right? They are putting several lives at risk here by doing crazy speeds that the system is not designed for. Little does an uneducated farmer who needs to cross the highway to go to his fields, know about these speeds. Till we have a system where these people can get to where they want to, and till we educate people about the dangers of speeding vehicles.

The stretch mentioned is an endless series of towns and it has no uneducated farmers roaming around, I know this because I have travelled this stretch for nearly half my life, the problem is with bikers, autos and tipper trucks, the worst of the lot would be freshly licensed ones who got their licenses after they got their cars. The fine could be justified by saying its the law, but to pretend that risks are similar at midnight and rush hour is quite a stretch. The buses are the lifeline for folks in Kerala, so unless the government is going to introduce new trains that give people in the interior a better choice, I am going to cut some slack to fast buses.

Originally Posted by narendra_urs

Cruze can easily breeze past anything doing the speed that you've mentioned. Anyways, even a multi-axle Volvo are tuned to do a top speed of about 135 kmph.

The Cruze touched 180, but it was still behind the bus, the bus driver finally slowed down to let him overtake. A Volvo can easily cross 135kmph, seen many do it on the Kanyakumari NH.

[kutts]

The speed traps on the NH in Kerala use the induction loop system. There are metallic wire loops running beneath the tar. Once a vehicle passes over it over the specified limit, it triggers a camera which takes a picture and routes it to the central traffic station.

If you have a keen eye or a co-passenger, all you need to look out for are the silver painted camera posts along the highway. Hard to spot a few that are hidden behind trees.

[Imran Ahmad Ali]

Greetings

I don't know about Kerala but here in Chandigarh and neighbouring Haryana busses have to be passed on a yearly basis and it is a part of compliance that an electronic speed limiter is put on it ! Be it commercial or a private service vehicle . We have a school and an NGO and for both we needed to replace one bus each , I personally went for their Registerations and for both I had to get speed limiters worth about 4 - 5 k put so it could be passed. They have a compulsory sticker to be Pasted on the front windshield without which cops identify them easily . I feel it is compulsory that all state governments strictly enact it but I guess revenue collected from a 5 k device will be much lesser than the fines they collect . Haha
Best wishes
Imran

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by KPS

In God's Own Country an over speeding fine of Rs. 1.24 lakhs was imposed on a bus operator...

I had already posted the same news item in this thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post3215108

Let me make a few things clear:
Believe it or not, a Volvo cannot do 150kmph. They max out at 120kmph or so. You would find a lot of people claiming to have seen or felt a Volvo whizzing past at 150 or 180, but that's just claims akin to eye-witnesses claiming to have seen a vehicle hitting something at 100kmph while not present inside the vehicle.

Like binand commented, the Traffic Police is using these speed cams as a means of generating income rather than improving the safety. It's not very difficult to inform a patrol unit stationed at one end of the 4-laned highway to intercept the speeding bus instead of letting it do such speeds, IF the traffic police were really concerned about safety. How many city-buses (commonly known as the red killer buses) in Kochi are booked by this same Traffic police for flouting all rules and driving at break-neck speeds inside the city?

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Most of these police 'checkposts' have cameras now. I think they have radar at only a few places. How did they catch this bus at so many locations, at night?

I thought these cameras work properly only during the day!

They are not 'checkposts', but speed cameras located at various intersections on the 4-laned stretch of NH-47. They are equipped with a bright flash as well, comprises 6 or 8 lamps focussed properly to snap the vehicle once it crosses the junction at a speed above the set limit.

The speed radars are used by the "Interceptor" units - Taveras that you might be able to spot parked on the side with an apparatus mounted on top. They don't lurk around at night, AFAIK.

Originally Posted by sinharishi

Wow! The Bus was actually trapped on the cameras and on the radars doing high speeds and the driver fined and that too in India

I know people who got a challan mailed to them (by India post) for breaking the speed limit on the Cherthala-Mannuthy stretch. The speed-cameras are very much in use.

Are these operators aware of such cameras and radars being installed? If yes, they surely took it for granted that these traps do not function or they are going to get away. Or Is it these cameras/radars were installed but were not put into use? Or is it that the Govt. wake up now?

To remain unaware of the speed-cams despite driving on this stretch for days together would be hard to believe. They are in use for over a year. A new Traffic Commissioner has assumed office. He's a man of action, but some of his short-sighted reforms are making me lose faith.

Originally Posted by Imran Ahmad Ali

... busses have to be passed on a yearly basis and it is a part of compliance that an electronic speed limiter is put on it !

When you buy a bus for 20L, 5k is not a huge amount. And a sticker job with a Pricol or Minda logo and the text "Speed limiting device fitted" would cost perhaps Rs.100. The rules are the same in Kerala too, a speed limiting device with a set speed limit of 60kmph (or was it 80?) should be installed in Commercial vehicles if they are to get a registration certificate and fitness certificate. The bus operators have some tricks up their sleeves to simply bypass this device. Heck, I know drivers in KSRTC who have told me that the corporation's long-distance buses have their speed-limiting devices "adjusted" to let them cruise at decent speeds (and they do 420km in 6-7 hours despite entering two bus stands, a couple of breaks, and traffic at the originating city/town). Go figure!

[kphilip]

As per yesterdays newspaper, the authorities are planning to pin down on cars using illegal lights and high beams in the city.The fine is supposed to be 1000rs.

A lot of reforms are being implemented here in kochi these days but the road conditions remains pathetic..

[luvDriving]

Originally Posted by silversteed

It's not very difficult to inform a patrol unit stationed at one end of the 4-laned highway to intercept the speeding bus instead of letting it do such speeds, IF the traffic police were really concerned about safety.

Totally agree here. How and why did the traffic unit allow the bus to cross so many checkpoints (cameras) at the said speed in the first place? Why was it not stopped after the very first infraction or at the very least asap after the police got the intimation ?

It is very obvious that these speed cameras are a means of revenue generation and they have no intention of disciplining traffic.

[IronH4WK]

Originally Posted by avira_tk

A Volvo can easily cross 135kmph, seen many do it on the Kanyakumari NH.

this is true. i was once travelling in a B7R many years back and was seated at #3, kinda right next to the driver. in those days, the passenger area was not separated from the driver cabin; there used to be just one small partition and the passengers sitting up front could see the road clearly.

anyhoo, i had dozed off and for some reason i suddenly woke up. everything seemed fine.. that is until i noticed the speedometer - it was showing speeds past 140kmph!! this was somewhere between Thrissur and Salem i think.

i closed my eyes and went back to sleep praying the bus does not crash!


on one of my trips back from Pune, i was having difficulties driving in pitch dark (1am) on NH4. saw a B9R pass me by and i tagged along. the rear of the B9R was stickered with those reflective stuff, so i didn't lose him. he paved the way and i followed. covered considerable distance behind the fella.

i was doing 130kmph, so i'm guessing the B9R was doing at least 150kmph or more (i was keeping a safe distance).