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