There lies no doubt to the fact that overspeeding vehicles (with bikes in the forefront) form the greatest menace on Indian streets.
Let’s take the case of Kolkata as a specimen. The most common sight of the city streets is three ‘heroes’(actually absolute rowdies) on a single bike, all helmet-less, roaring with speed much above the permissible limit and flouting all norms of signal and traffic regulations. The bikers are also audacious enough to travel in the opposite direction of one-way streets as well !
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And thanks to their antics(surely ‘inspired’ by that epitome of philistinism named ‘mainstream’ Bollywood), the lives of others(specially innocent pedestrians) get endangered. However, when these uncivilized brute, crude, monsters on bikes/cars should have been promptly reined in, they are always treated with kid-gloves (if at all they are nabbed in the first place)! As if the monetary penalty for flouting traffic rules is not too meagre enough (hardly posing any deterrent ie not enough to pose an ‘assault’ on the pocket), most often these rowdies on the wheels or brute bikers are let off with softest verbal warning possible! Sometimes they are even gifted rose or helmet as well, as if they are rendering a ‘great service’ to the society by riding without helmets and displaying zero concern towards the safety of fellow citizens on streets and footpaths!
It is indeed a mystery why do the monsters on wheels are treated so liberally by the authorities concerned! Are the prosecuting agencies also remain mesmerized by the ‘heroic’ deeds of the rowdies! Since bike-terrorism is an all-India phenomenon which remains unabated, it seems that the authorities of the whole country act as ‘liberal’ as their Kolkata counterparts while dealing with these rowdies!
A driver and the occupant of the front seat of the car risk only their own lives if they do not use seat belt. Yet they get prosecuted if they do not fasten it. This proves that theoretically the State does not tolerate negligence towards own life also. In contrast, the rowdy elements among bikers not only risk their own lives; but that of pedestrians, footpath dwellers and travellers in other vehicles also. Yet, despite ‘murder’ of hundreds of thousands of Indians every year on streets (yes, the most appropriate term to describe the unending mayhem day in and day out can be ‘murder’ only); the authorities continue to remain so lenient towards them and this ‘lethargy’ on part of the prosecutors form the very reason why the rowdies on bikes and cars can act so audacious without caring for safety of others who are made to pay a price through lives despite absolutely no fault of their own!
Among the crimes which happen around the society, crossing the speed limit or flouting all norms of traffic rules form the most ‘transparent’ offence as it occurs right in front of all eyes unlike corruption black-marketeering, smuggling, gambling or domestic murders! Thus it is very easy to nip this menace in the very bud itself by strict policing on streets.
It is high time the concerned authorities wake up from their slumber so as to ensure exemplary severe punishment to the barbarians so that they think twice before acting ‘heroic’ with their machines. The security and safety of unsuspecting common citizens should be awarded topmost priority whose lives are too precious to be allowed to be exterminated by these merchants of death.
