Do not insist on speed governors: Taxi owners

BANGALORE: Lashing out at the government’s decision to implement compulsory installation of speed governors in all commercial vehicles by June 1, the Bangalore Tourist Taxi Owners Association (BTTOA) on Wednesday said that speed governors were harmful for Euro-4 quality vehicles and should not be forced on vehicle owners.In a statement issued on Wednesday, General Secretary of RK Holla said, “Now manufacturers are withdrawing engine warranty of the vehicles because of speed governors fitment. The engine suffers damage because of them."The BTTOA also stated that restricting the speed of newer generation vehicles even when highway rules permit a maximum speed of 80 Kmph was a betrayal by the government of the needs of the tourism industry.Holla also spoke against the lifetime tax system adopted by the state government and said that the collection of tax at 15 per cent of vehicle value was breaking the back of the tourism industry in the state.“For the last two months, newly registered vehicles are parked in garages without earning anything. We ask that the tax percentage be cut down to 5-6 per cent as is prevalent in neighbouring states,” he said.