Abel Pascoal Barretto
CANACONA: The unauthorised addition of fitments such as modified silencers, horns, fancy lights, wide tyres and alloy wheels is not an uncommon thing on the Goan roads; and with authorities not lending their ears to the complains in this regards, the recent Supreme Court banning these fitments has come as a much needed respite for Canaconkars as well as the Goans at large.
The judgment by a Bench of Justices Arun Mishra and Vineet Saran in the beginning of this year said in its verdict — “No vehicle can be altered so as to change original specification made by the manufacturer”.
Such particulars cannot be altered, which have been specified by the manufacturer for the purpose of entry in the certificate of registration.
The apex court referred to an amended provision of the Motor Vehicles Act and observed that its “clear intent” was that a vehicle cannot be so altered that the particulars contained in the certificate of registration are at variance with those ‘originally specified by the manufacturer’.
Simply put, modifications such as bigger alloy wheels, wider tyres, silencers, fancy lights and louder horns (which deviate from the manufacturer’s specifications) is not legal.
However, with multitude of Goans suffering from eye, ear and other malfunctions some of these fitments are causing lot of trouble to commuters and the law enforcement authorities have allowed these fitments regardless of them knowing that they are illegal and dangerous to others on the road says senior citizen Natividade D’Sa.
“We request the authorities who are seen normally going hammer and tongs after helmetless riders to implement this Supreme Court ruling strictly and give us respite from these unruly uncrowned kings of the Goan roads,” requested Diogo Da’ Silva, a concerned senior citizen and social activist from Canacona.
