The Regional Transport Offices (RTO) Pune do not have any data about how many helmets have been sold along with the vehicles by two-wheeler dealers in the city, informed deputy RTO Sanjay Raut.
According to circular released on January 10, by Transport commissioner, all RTOs in Maharashtra should take strict against two-wheeler dealers, for not supplying two helmets at the time of selling vehicles.
“If the customer has already purchased a helmet and is not willing to purchase it again, then the customer should sign an undertaking and submit it. All dealers in the city have to submit collected undertakings to RTO office, but we do not have any mechanism to compile all the data. As a result, we can not say how many helmets have been sold along with the vehicles,” said deputy RTO Sanjay Raut.
Earlier, Hindustan Times had reported that many activist complained that, two wheeler-dealers in the city are not selling helmets along with the vehicles. On Friday Hindustan Times, visited Pashankar Auto Pvt Ltd in Shivaji Nagar, Kothari Wheels on Tilak Road and Saavya Auto on Karve Road, all of them claimed that every time they informed the customer about the mandatory rule of helmets most of the time, customers refused to purchase it.
“According to guidelines, we have started selling helmets along with every vehicle.However, most of them preferred to sign undertaking without buying a helmet. Then we can not force them to purchase one,” said Vishal Gosavi General Manager at Pashankar Auto. Gosavi further added that we have to submit undertaking signed by the customer to RTO office during vehicle passing procedure.
{{/usCountry}}“According to guidelines, we have started selling helmets along with every vehicle.However, most of them preferred to sign undertaking without buying a helmet. Then we can not force them to purchase one,” said Vishal Gosavi General Manager at Pashankar Auto. Gosavi further added that we have to submit undertaking signed by the customer to RTO office during vehicle passing procedure.
{{/usCountry}}“It is not true that we are not selling helmets with two-wheelers. In fact, more than 80 per cent people preferred to sign an undertaking. In such cases, what should we do?’’ said Sagar Varhade General Manager at Kothari Wheels.
Most of the time, customer preferred to buy cheap helmet available in just Rs 300 along the roadside. Hence they refuse to purchase a helmet from dealers which sold from Rs 700 to Rs 2,000 which is having ISI standard mark for the safety of riders.