TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) has petitioned transport department requesting it to crackdown on rent-a-bike service operators, who are indulge in providing fake helmets to the tourists renting their bikes.
GOACAN convenor Roland Martins said that as part road safety and traffic management campaign, the GOCAN over the last eight years has been stressing on the use of ISI mark helmets and have undertaken a vigorous drive to weed out the fake helmets being sold on the streets and in the shops.
Martins said that large numbers of riders are using non ISI mark helmets in Goa thereby exposing themselves to serious head injuries in case of accident. During the road safety awareness actions conducted by GOACAN, last week, volunteers encountered a large number of tourists and women using non ISI helmets either out of compulsion or ignorance of the safety norms of helmet use.
GOACAN has pointed out that one specific group of riders are tourists using the services of the rent-a-bike operators.
“The tourists are forced to use the non ISI mark helmets as these helmets are provided to them by the operators. There is a need that transport department and traffic cops crackdown on such operators and impose fines,” he said.
Martins said that as per section 129 of the Motor Vehicle Act, the helmet needs to have the ISI mark. GOACAN has also petitioned Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Superintendent of Police, traffic Vijay Singh. GOACAN has also pointed out that the women are also by large use helmets, which are not sa
