Transport Department acts after complaint from GOACAN
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Rent-a-bike operators in Goa will have to provide only ISI-mark helmets to those hiring their two-wheelers, as the State Transport Department is proposing that use of such helmets be made mandatory for issuing permits.
The State Transport Authority (STA) in March, this year, had put one-year moratorium on issuing fresh licenses for rent-a-bike operators due to the rising number of bikes, arguing that this was affecting the business of tourist-taxi operators.
There are over 18,000 bikes registered with the Transport Department under the rental scheme.
Director of Transport Arun Desai said that department had recently received a complaint from Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) against rent-a-bike operators who are providing spurious helmets to tourists renting their bikes. Based on the complaint, the department has decided to direct rent-a-bike operators to provide only ISI-mark helmets to their customers.
“Use of ISI helmets would be one of the permit conditions. The proposal would be moved to government shortly,” Desai said.
According to Section 129 of the Motor Vehicle Act, the helmets need to have ISI mark. GOACAN in a complaint to the Transport Department had pointed out that tourists are forced to use non-ISI mark helmets by operators. It has demanded that the Transport Department and Traffic Police crackdown on such operators and impose fines on them.
