Vehicle dealers are facing the heat for not selling two helmets at the time of selling two-wheelers to people.
Transport commissioner of Maharashtra has through a circular on January 10 directed all the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the state to take action against two-wheeler dealers, for not supplying two helmets at the time of selling vehicles.
In the past few years, the state government has taken several steps to make making people wear both the rider and the pillion wear helmets. This is being done to reduce the number of casualties in accidents. First, it started taking indemnity bond from every person approaching RTO for two-wheeler licence. Then acting on high court directives, it had asked two-wheeler dealers to supply two helmets to vehicle buyers.
After receiving transport commissioner’s directives, some RTOs have written to dealers in their jurisdiction, while others are planning a drive, in which their motor vehicle inspectors in plain clothes will pose as customers and check if the dealers are really following the two-helmet directive, said the officials.
“Before initiating action, we have written to all the two-wheeler dealers in our jurisdiction, asking them to strictly follow the two-helmet directive,” said a senior RTO official from Mumbai who did not want to be named.
The directive says action is necessary as several dealers are not following the two-helmet rule. “If any two-wheeler dealer is found violating the directives about helmet rules, take action prescribed as per sub rule F(4) of rule 138 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 and maintain the necessary documents about the action taken,” reads the transport commissioner office directive.
Despite repeated attempts, deputy transport commissioner Govind Saindane did not respond to the queries regarding the action, however, some senior RTO officials said they will have to first issue show-cause notices, if they find any dealer violating the rule. “Their trade certificate will be suspended for few months, if they failed to give satisfactory response to the notice,” said an RTO official, who was not authorised to speak to the media.
Highlighting that the helmet cost is over and above the vehicle price, two-wheeler dealers said consumers are reluctant to pay extra for branded helmets, which generally cost a lot. “Neither the customers are willing to pay for two helmets, nor the vehicle manufacturers are including their cost in vehicle price. What should dealers do in this scenario when our margins are barely Rs2,000 per vehicle?” said a dealer from the island city, who chose to remain anonymous.