Six rent-a-cabs fined in govt’s speed governor compliance drive

Panaji: The North Goa enforcement wing of the transport department conducted a verification drive across Panaji on Thursday to check whether speed governors installed in taxis and rent-a cabs are functioning properly. A total of six rent-a-cab vehicles were issued challans for failing the operational status of speed governors fitted in vehicles.

The drive was conducted by assistant director of transport, Panaji RTO, Oswin Carvallho, North Goa enforcement head, Cedric Cordeiro and additional director of transport B A Sawant to verify whether speed limiting devices are functional.

On Thursday, the directorate of transport issued a public notice directing all rent-a-cab and taxi operators in the state to ensure that their vehicles are fitted with functional speed governors, warning that non-compliance could lead to legal action, including suspension or cancellation of permits.

The notice highlights the mandatory requirement under Rule 118 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, which stipulates that every transport vehicle must be equipped with a speed governor calibrated to prescribed maximum speed limits for different categories of vehicles.

The directorate stated that it has observed instances where speed governors are either not installed in vehicles or are non-functional.