PANJIM: Two-wheeler dealers in the State will now have to sell helmets along with a bike or a scooter and a rent-a-bike operator could lose their permit if a tourist is involved in an accident and is not wearing a helmet.
Transport Director Nikhil Desai said that any two-wheeler dealer who does not sell a helmet along with the vehicle will be dealt with strictly.
Goa saw 328 deaths in road accidents last year which is almost one death every day due to negligence and could have been avoided if traffic rules were followed by riders, he added.
Desai said, “As per the rule two-wheeler dealers have to provide a helmet when one buys a two-wheeler. We have told all two-wheeler dealers to strictly abide by this and if they don’t comply with the rule, then we have also informed them that the department will not be a silent spectator.”
Terming incidents of customers insisting on a discount instead of purchasing the helmet along with the two-wheeler as unfortunate, Desai said that customers and dealers should cooperate in the safety.
He further said that rent a bike operators have been directed to provide ISI marked helmets to tourists and failure to do so will result in losing of operation permit.
“We have written to all the rent-a-bike operators that whenever bikes are being hired by tourists, it is their responsibility to provide ISI mark helmets or else we will crack down upon such rent-a-bike operators. And if it is found that a rent-a-bike is involved in an accident and a helmet was not used then the operator may lose his permit for not taking adequate precaution while giving out the vehicle,” he said.
