In the wake of two gruesome accidents caused by out-of-control water and fuel tanker lorries at Guindy and Maduravoyal within a week, the traffic police have asked tanker owners to install speed governors and instruct drivers to follow the speed limit of 35 km per hour.
On Tuesday, the traffic police organised a meeting with associations of various lorry owners — water tankers, sewage tankers and oil tankers — and listed out safety measures to be followed by them and drivers to prevent accidents caused by rash driving.
Senior officers asked the stakeholders to ensure that speed limits — 35 kilometres per hour from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 40 kmph between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. — were adhered to. The tanker owners were also advised to inspect the condition of the vehicle regularly.
A senior officer said that though the owners claimed speed governors were already fixed in most tankers, the speed limit remained at 60 kmph, and they had been asked to reduce it to 40 kmph.
The officers also gave strict instructions to tanker drivers to prevent cleaners from driving the vehicles and only operate the allotted number of trips. The owners were also asked to ensure drivers were not drunk.
The State transport department also plans to conduct a meeting chaired by the State transport commissioner with the stakeholders on Wednesday to ensure guidelines are followed.
Regarding the investigation of the Metrowater tanker accident that claimed the lives of three college students in Guindy on October 13, a senior officer of the traffic police said the report from the Motor Vehicles Inspector was yet to be received.
On Monday, a couple, was crushed to death near Maduravoyal when a tanker lorry hit their two-wheeler on Poonamallee High Road.
