Team Herald
PANJIM: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-certified helmets compulsory for two-wheeler riders. The ‘Helmet for riders of Two Wheelers Motor Vehicles (Quality Control) Order, 2020’ was issued on November 26.
GOACAN, which has been campaigning for compulsory wearing of certified helmets and ISI has welcomed the Quality Control Order (QCO) making BIS certified protective helmets compulsory for two-wheeler riders and considers it as a huge step for road safety and consumer protection.
“This QCO fulfils the long standing demand of GOACAN which had made submissions on the issue at meetings of the State Road Safety Council, State Consumer Protection Council and the State level Committee on Standardisation & Quality Systems organised by the BIS,” Roland Martins, GOACAN Co-ordinator said.
He stated that the enforcement of QCO will have a direct impact on the sale of fake and duplicate helmets in Goa, as in the past many two-wheeler riders were injured and killed due to the use of non-ISI mark helmets.
As many consumers were unable to identify the fake helmets during purchase, GOACAN had campaigned for the manufacture of non-ISI mark helmets to be stopped permanently. The present QCO will make it mandatory for shopkeepers to sell only ISI mark helmets failing which the non-ISI mark helmets would be seized.
QCO will also make enforcement raids possible by the Police, Civil Supplies Inspectors and Motor Vehicle Inspectors once the necessary instructions are issued. Presently seizures of fake helmets are being carried out only by the inspectors of the Legal Metrology Department for violation of the Packaged Commodities Rules.
OACAN had recently also highlighted the need for the QCO on helmets at the meetings of the reconstituted District Road Safety Committees chaired by the Lok Sabha Members of Parliament.
Meanwhile GOACAN will include details of the QCO on helmets in its ongoing awareness drive on Consumer Rights & Responsibilities which will end on December 24, National Consumer Rights Day.
