NEW DELHI, NOV 25: Both the State Transport Authority (STA) and the Delhi Traffic Police are going all out to prove that they are a zealous lot, following the recent Supreme Court order on better traffic management in the Capital.

As directed by the court on November 20, the STA has issued a notification to all transporters in the city to ensure that speed governors are immediately fixed in their respective vehicles. But where do they buy these speed governors?

The STA of course, does not have the answer. In fact, two days after the notification was published in all national dailies, officials at the STA are yet to release details on the availability of these devices.

All that the department has said so far is: ``The speed governor may be an Accelerator Pedal Retarder, comprising a solid metal rod fixed below the pedal. It should be a minimum of 2 cm in diameter and of appropriate height. Also, it should be welded (not bolted, screwed or rivetted), firmly to the floor of the bus.''

The traffic police, on the other hand, contend that they are concerned with the implementation of the SC order and not how the bus operators procure the devices. ``We have been told that any contraption, which prevents drivers from accelerating beyond 40 km is a speed governor,'' says DCP (Traffic) Qamar Ahmed. His counterparts at the STA say that they have already contacted a few companies for the large scale manufacture of speed governors. However, no one is sure of the time-frame involved.

In its notification to the owners of heavy and medium transport vehicles as well as four-wheeled light goods vehicles, the STA had also directed them to procure an electronic speed limiter, which should be fitted to the engine and manufactured as per ISI standards within four months. But bus operators say that it is the current drive launched by the traffic police which has left them dumfounded. During the past few days, an average of 600 vehicles daily have been penalised for various violations, most of whom were caught for not possessing speed governors.

Explaining the sudden surge in policing, senior traffic officials say that they are only conforming to the SC order. Their counterparts in the STA are equally conscientious. ``We have no other option, we can't violate the SC directive.''

On Sunday last, at least 532 vehicles, mostly Blueline and chartered buses, were challaned by the Delhi traffic police for violating strictures including the absence of speed governors, overloading, jumping lanes, overtaking and not halting at bus stops in the past 24 hours. About 35 per cent of these vehicles were impounded.

All senior traffic department officials including Transport Minister Rajendra Gupta are closeted in hurriedly convened meetings every other day, drawing up what they call `a draft plan'.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.