FOLLOW 2 HELMETS PER 2WHEELER RULE OR BE READY TO FACE BLANKET BAN : MAHARASHTRA TRANSPORT COMMISSIONER TELLS SIAM

Pune, March 11, 2020: As per the letter dated 5th March 2020, The Transport Commissioner of Maharashtra has sent a letter to SIAM for ensuring its members (two-wheeler manufacturers) to follow the rules laid by court and MVR to provide two helmets of BSI standards to the buyers.

In the letter the Transport Commissioner has clearly written that if this would not be followed they will stop registering two wheeler in the state without any further intimation.

This development was subsequent the order of the Maharashtra High Court Nagpur Bench in the matter of a public interest litigation, PIL 9 (2019). The Maharashtra High Court Nagpur Bench has taken a serious offence for not following its order of supply of supply 2 ISI helmets to the buyer of two wheeler and it has made an opinion to ban the registration of two wheeler in Maharashtra.

The PIL stated that the Rule 138(4)(f) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, which prescribes that at the time of purchase of the two wheeler, the manufacturer of the two wheeler shall supply a protective headgear conforming to specifications prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.

However in current scenario, the manufacturers are violating the laws and do not supplying any protective headgear at the time of the sale of two wheeler, further increasing the threat of fatal road accidents.

The dealers who have been summoned and made party to the PIL has given an Affidavit before the court that 8 leading Two wheeler Companies are supplying the vehicle without the Helmet or Headgear so they are not able to provide the same to the buyer. The Court has directed that an intimation of the same to be sent to these all 8 manufacturers along with SIAM to strictly implement the decision of supply 2 helmets meeting the BSI standards to the buyer by the manufacturer.

Court has directed to Transport Commissioner to ensure that the prescribed ISI helmets as per BSI standards to be supplied by the manufacturer failing so the court to ban the registration of two wheelers in entire Maharashtra.

It is imperative that, not wearing helmets killed more than 3,500 riders and over 1,700 pillion riders in the state last year. With this, the state was among the top three states with the highest road deaths in this category.

Also, the state has not done well in complying with laws regarding use of seatbelts. More than 600 motorists and over 1,000 co-travelers died for not wearing seatbelts last year. In this group, the state is among the top five in India to have the highest road fatalities.

The World Health Organisation’s global report on road safety (2018) said that head injuries were a leading cause of death among motorised two and three wheeler users. The right use of a helmet can lead to 42% reduction of risk in fatal and 69% in head injuries, the report said.

So if you are planning to buy a two wheeler in Maharashtra just insist for 2 ISI helmets otherwise may be you are not able to get your vehicle register.