20 January,2015 06:43 AM IST | | A Correspondent
Transport Minister Diwakar Raote said people seeking a two-wheeler licence will have to sign an indemnity bond, which will help build cases against offenders
In an odd attempt at keeping our roads safer, bikers will now have to sign an indemnity bond promising to abide by the motor vehicles rules and regulations before getting a licence.
The minister said that despite a Supreme Court directive on the issue, two-wheeler riders do not wear helmets. Representation pic
The move was announced by state Transport Minister Diwakar Raote yesterday, and department sources said it would apply only to two-wheeler riders. Announcing the move while launching a 15-day road safety programme yesterday, Raote said the indemnity bonds would help the police and Transport officials in building cases against offenders.
He did not, however, give any deadline for the proposal's implementation. "The Supreme Court has made helmets compulsory for the riders (of two-wheelers), but the majority of bike riders do not follow the directive," he said.
When mid-day spoke to Raote, he said, "The thought to get indemnity bonds signed by bikers came to me after seeing many of them riding without helmets. Bikers violate rules more frequently than drivers of four-wheelers and other vehicles."
Pedestrian safety
The minister has also asked the BMC to paint zebra crossings in bold. "The safety programme may be restricted to 15 days, but my department will try to reach out to vehicle owners/drivers and pedestrians throughout the year."
Raote said the department would increase the penalty for traffic violations soon. "We don't want to earn money for the government through penalties, but we want to decrease violations by hiking the penalty."
