Govt To Make ISI Helmet Mandatory: Two Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association

Two Wheeler Helmet Manufacturers Association has been proactively taking up the matter of helmet safety in India and now with the new government it proactively takes up the issue on manufacturing & selling of non-ISI helmet to be made a criminal offense.

As per the draft notification issued by the Road Transport and Highway Ministry on 2nd August 2018, manufacture, storage and sale of non-Indian standard (NON-ISI) Helmets for two-wheelers will lead to arrest without warrant. While for a first offense the penalty would amount to two years jail or fine of at least Rs 2 lakh, subsequent offenses would attract a higher fine, However, this was not materialized during the last stint of the Government. Now, the ISI helmet industry hopes the new Government will take appropriate action & notify it as fast as possible. This initiative would also help to save more than 1.50 Lacs people from dying in a fatal road accident.

Mr. Rajeev Kapur, President, Two Wheelers Helmet Manufacturers Association said, “The last Govt has also done quite a lot to ban the spurious & fake ISI Helmets. However, there are some more issues which need to be tackled  & we as an organized ISI helmet industry are confident that the new Government will take up the long pending issue of  Fake ISI Helmets on utmost priority.”

The industry, on the whole, is hopeful that the New Government will demonstrate concrete actions to push investments, increase growth and generate employment. Furthermore, we are expecting the New Government will make the GST NIL on the helmets. “Helmets are life-saving device just like medicines. Therefore, just the way there is no GST on medicines so shall helmets be exempted” added Mr. Kapur.

Moreover, unless helmets are exempted from taxes, prices will go up and the effort of the government to roll out the new ISI standard and mandatory use of ISI helmets will be defeated.

As per the WHO report 300 thousand people are dying in road accidents in India but this number only includes what is reported and recorded by the Indian Government.

“Also, manufacturers and big organization should be encouraged to come forward and invest in this field. Considering the current scenario the apprehension is that if they invest in this field and what if the government does not enforce the law. So we request the new government to carve out the future plans to make helmets mandatory PAN India.” Further added Mr. Rajeev Kapur