By IANS
Bangalore : Movement of goods and people was severely hit in Karnataka Monday as over 300,000 commercial vehicles went off the roads to protest the government decision to make installation of speed governors mandatory.
“Our vehicles will not ply unless the government keeps its decision in abeyance,” G.R. Shanmugappa, president of the Federation of Karnataka State Lorry Owners and Agents Association, told IANS.
“We are not against speed governors. But we want it to be done at all-India level and not state-level,” he said in response to a clarification that it was acting as per the directive of the state high court.
The court, hearting a petition filed by the parents of a road accident victim, asked the government in July 2007 to check speeding by trucks and other commercial vehicles.
“Nearly 60,000 lorries from other states pass through Karnataka daily and they will have no speed governors if the decision is restricted only to this state. This is an anomaly. That is why we demand that the government keep its decision in abeyance till the centre takes a call on the issue,” Shanmugappa said.
He said that besides 275,000 trucks, tourist taxis, maxi cabs and private buses also joined the strike. He warned that Karnataka would soon face shortages of petrol and auto gas.
He claimed that the government was being influenced by a lobby of speed governor manufacturers who charged Rs.16,000 for each instrument although it cost only Rs.2,000 in Delhi and Rs.6,000 in Kerala.