MUMBAI: It's a comedy of errors, set in motion by the act of following orders unthinkingly. Last month, after Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik instructed the traffic department to fine all bikers wearing helmets without ISI certification, hundreds were booked for the offence. Farcically enough, these included owners of foreign bikes who wear helmets certified by Australian, Italian and American authorities.
"The purpose of the police commissioner's directive was to send a strong message to those using cheap plastic helmets which can't protect even a cyclist. But the cops carrying out the order have failed to understand that helmets certified by the American Department of Transportation (DOT) are among the safest in the world," says Debashish Ghosh, owner of a Harley Davidson bike.
Adds Vijay Jain of Wheelieboy Adventure India Ltd, "We appreciate the traffic department's initiative to make sure people use ISI-certified helmets, but we are looking for a slightly higher standard as our bikes are more powerful and expensive. Our helmets are more reliable and have undergone stringent tests."
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