Mumbai: Cabbies want extension to install seatbelt

Passengers will be responsible for wearing seatbelts, not the driver

Mumbai cabbies have sought extension of the seat-belt deadline till year-end as many of them seem to have removed the rear seatbelts and are in the process of reinstalling them. Also, if sitting in a cab, the onus of wearing seat belts in cabs will be on the passenger and not the cab driver, and they will be fined.

"As per the Mumbai police order itself, it will be passengers who will be responsible for their safety of wearing a seatbelt. Many of our cabbies had removed the rear seatbelts, but all of them are installing them now all over again. However, seat belts are not immediately available in market, and we have requested car manufacturers to supply them. This is the reason we have sought extension of the time limit and deadline to wear seatbelts up to December 31," Mumbai Taximen's Union general secretary Anthony Quadros told mid-day.

Also Read: Travelling without seatbelt: Offenders to be issued challan from Nov 11 in Mumbai

Last week, cabbies had sought clarity on the matter from the authorities and said that the average speed of the vehicles within city limit is less than 12 kms, and taxis are mostly operating within municipal limits even when they are allowed to operate in MMRDA limit and that taxis should not be forced to have rear seat belts. "It is now clear as per the order, that the onus of wearing the seat belt will be on passengers and not drivers, and it is important to do it for overall commuting safety," he said.

The new seat belt regulation in the city mandates all vehicles in Mumbai to have rear seat belts from November 1, failing which a fine of R1,000 would be levied. While action has been initiated, the full fledged implementation of the regulation would start from November 11.