These were remarks from the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph and Justice B S Patil at the hearing of the PILs, in support of and against the State Government rule compelling installation of speed governors in all transport vehicles.
“What is behind the organisations which are playing with public life by holding strikes - money power or muscle power ?”- the Bench also asked the Government. It expressed displeasure that despite six months time being given for implementing the rule, the Government was extending the deadline, instead of implementing it.
The Bench also observed : “Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by vehicle owners of Kerala, challenging the rule. When SC has approved it, how can we close our eyes? If you are aggrieved by our order, you can also approach SC” - the Bench told the Government while adjourning the hearing to Feb 6.
The Court advised the Government that it should not heed to any pressures when a decision is taken for the good of society. It does not suit the Government to fear a strike, violating the Court order.
The CJ pulled up vehicle owners saying : “I have read that speed governors also help in saving fuel. Then why are they against it ? If there are no speed governors, one can enjoy fast driving, but why don’t they see that it is causing danger to so many lives ?”
During the hearing, Advocate General B V Acharya said that since vehicles were coming to the State from other states also, it was difficult to implement the rule.
Reacting, the Bench said: “there is an error in the Government’s original notification itself. It should amend it, making them mandatory for all vehicles entering the State.”
AG said that except Kerala, speed governors are not mandatory in any other state. Hence, the Court may direct the Central Government to make it compulsory in all states, he said.
To this, the CJ reacted: “We are not worried about other states. Let it start from Karnataka. Then other states will start implementing it one by one. Under the Central Motor Vehicles Act, it is left to respective state governments to compel installation of speed governors. You implement it. It is enough.”
Inconvenience at airport
“In foreign countries, there are instruments to indicate higher humidity or snowfall at the airports to guide the planes. But, no such facility is there in India. And since it requires financial expenditure, nobody is ready to do it. Hence, anybody wishing to come to Bangalore, including the President, has to board the aircraft one day before. But, the Government is not understanding this inconvenience. Similarly, vehicle owners who are refusing to install speed governors due to consequent financial expenditure, are not seeing the problem suffered by people,” said, CJ Cyriac Joseph during the hearing.
