Speed governors not good for buses: School bus owners

School bus owners on Monday demonstrated against the installation of speed governors in buses saying that the device was adversely affecting the buses and causing unnecessary trouble to schoolchildren and their parents.

During a demonstration at Mhatre Bridge, the School Bus Owners' Association and Pune Bus Owners' Association said that the installation of the gadget was lowering the mileage of buses besides affecting the owners' financially. They added that the speed governors were a reason for frequent breakdown of buses.

"Owing to installation of these gadgets, we are also losing the benefits of warranty. The rates of the speed governor has shot through the roof and now we have to shell out Rs 18,000-20,000 to get it installed," said Rajan Junawane, vice-president, School Bus Association.

Of the 2,000 school buses that operate in the city, only 300 have speed governors. A majority of these 300 buses are operated by schools themselves. As many as 1,700 buses are controlled by private operators, of which only 20-25 buses have speed governors.

The state government had issued a notification in March making speed governors mandatory for buses registered after May 1. For vehicles registered on or before April 30, the deadline for installation of the devise was September 1. However, the bus owners opposed the decision claiming that the policy was flawed and impractical.

"Our buses run 40-50 km daily and slow speed almost doubles the time of the journey leading to complaints from students and parents," said Sudam Jhambulkar, one of the bus owners.

Another bus owner Manali Palande said, "There has been a steep hike in diesel prices. Parents are not allowing us to increase the monthly transport fee. And the government wants us to pay for these devises."

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