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2008 International Goan Convention
Toronto, Canada
Early Bird Discount Registration closes March 31, 2008
http://www.2008goanconvention.com/regform_print.html
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Safety experts applaud law to slow trucks
Devices to limit speed will be mandatory by next year if law passed
Trucking industry and safety experts are applauding a move by Queen's Park to
cap truck speeds at 105 km/h in Ontario.
Calling it a life-saving measure that will also reduce fuel consumption and
greenhouse gas emissions, Transportation Minister Jim Bradley introduced
legislation yesterday that, if passed, will make electronic speed limiters
mandatory on provincial roads by next year.
Speed limiters are electronic devices built into trucks that can be programmed
to prevent the driver from going beyond 105 km/h.
More than half the trucks in Ontario already have the devices. If passed, the
new law would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 280,000 tonnes and
save about 100 million litres of diesel annually
"This is a tremendous step forward for highway safety and the fight against
climate change," said Ontario Trucking Association president David Bradley.
Quebec passed a similar law last year.
There have been 31,350 car and truck collisions in Ontario since Nov. 1, about
2,000 more than during the same period last year.
http://www.thestar.com/article/348177
Background Info: Queen's Park is the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
Provincial Roads mean State Highways.
COMMENT: Just like Goa, Traffic issues in Ontario/Toronto are governed by
State/City laws/by-laws. Similarly, it is the responsibility of the Goa state
government to make and implement the law within its jurisdiction on traffic
issues. Goa could possibly be a trail-blazer within the Indian Union on this
front.
What we have had instead is the former (Madkaikar) and present (Dhavlikar)
Transport Ministers pandering to the Bus owners and transport vehicle owners
lobby and a leader (Kamat) willing to appease the politically influential bus
and truck lobbies. A ridiculous suggestion has been floated to instead "use
alcoholmeters compulsorily for all the types of vehicles during the afternoon".
Only those convicted of drunken-driving violations should have mandatory
"alcohol-meters"; not everybody.
The Society for Road Safety and Traffic Management have done well in utilising
the courts to check-mate the Govt on this issue.
Justices Lavande and Britto directed the Govt that no new vehicles would be
registered without the speed-governors installed effective Mar 12. Is the Govt
(bureacrats) following the courts (judiciary) order? As per the same order the
Justices have given the State Govt until December 28, 2008 to ensure all
vehicles in the state have speed-governors installed.
If the State fails to carry out its obligations as instructed by the Bombay
High Court (Goa), who will be held responsible?
Are the people of Goa going to be manipulated by another set of lobbyists,
again..........
- Bosco
Toronto, CA
References:
http://www.thestar.com/article/348177
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=022811
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=031836
http://www.navhindtimes.com/articles.php?Story_ID=032049
