SC stays K'taka HC order of installing speed governors

New Delhi, Feb 26 (UNI) The Supreme Court today stayed till March 10 the order of Karnataka High Court, making it compulsory for all commercial vehicles in the state, including lorries to install speed governors latest by June 30, 2008.

The High Court acting on a PIL in its order dated February 12, issued the directions holding that, lack of speed governors in these vehicles was leading to large scale road accidents in the state.

The order of the High Court has been challenged by the Commercial Vehicles Owners Association of Mysore, in the Supreme Court on the grounds that the central government is the only authority competent to amend the Motor Vehicles Act, to make it mandatory for all vehicles in the state to have the speed governors.

A bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal fixed March 10 for the next hearing when the petitions were mentioned for urgent hearing before the apex court today.

According to the petitioner, Karnataka state government has formed a technical committee to go into the issue, but the High Court had issued the directions without awaiting the report of the technical committee.

UNI AKS/SC AE HS1931