Mumbai: Most kaali-peeli taxis don't have seatbelt, experts raise concern

Deepak Kapadia, former president, WIAA, says the cabbie can ensure the front seat passenger is strapped in at least

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has sounded the bugle on buckle up rules. He announced recently that fines will be levied on passengers not wearing seatbelts in the rear seats of vehicles. The Gadkari roar is in the light of the accident where top industrialist Cyrus Mistry lost his life, along with friend Jehangir Pundole. Both were seated in the rear of a car, not wearing seatbelts, apparently being driven at high speed and perished as it eventually crashed.

Belt missing

While unfortunately, it took a crash of ‘high-profile' passengers to serve as a wake-up call to belt up even at the back, Mumbai taxi commuters, those that flag down the ‘ol faithful kaali-peeli have a problem. Most of these, nearly all of these cabs in fact, do not have rear seatbelts. This is also true of many aggregator vehicles. This is because the cabs need to have the capacity to accommodate three passengers at the back. Usually, the seatbelts are removed or if they are there, they are hanging at the sides, the buckle at the other end is missing, rendering them useless. This is also because the buckle tends to hurt the passenger in the middle, explain some drivers.

Also Read: Cyrus Mistry death: Mercedes to send car's ECM to Germany for analysis, says official

Slow go

General Secretary of Mumbai Taximen's Union A L Quadros said, "Most cabs ply within the Mumbai region. Since there is so much traffic congestion in Mumbai, we do not witness these cabs going at high, reckless speeds. In fact, they are forced to be very slow. I think adherence to traffic rules is very important, rather than just rear seatbelts. We must also remember that passengers usually alight from cabs in a short while, they are usually commuting somewhere close by. As cabbies are waiting for passengers to alight, the traffic police is blowing the whistle, urging the cab to move on quickly and not block the road. Passengers in the rear will take a minute or two to remove their seatbelt. Priority should be given to moving slow and observing all traffic discipline rules."

Maturity, responsibility

Deepak Kapadia, former president of Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), stated, "The average speed of cabs within Mumbai is usually well within limits. A beginning can be made by ensuring that the front-seat passenger and cab driver wear seatbelts. I have witnessed some cabbies hurriedly wearing their seatbelts as they arrive at a junction where they think a traffic cop will be posted, and they will be caught and penalised." Kapadia added that, "Not only for himself, the driver must ensure that his front-seat passenger, too, is strapped with a belt. Often, we hear passengers argue with the driver and tell him to mind his own business when told to wear the belt. The driver must insist and commuters must display maturity. In rare cases, the front seatbelt is broken in cabs, commuters must alight at once if they realise there is no front seatbelt," he finished.

Sunil Merchant, WIAA committee member and former president, said, "It is up to the government transport authorities to decide what to do about the cabs. Meanwhile, I want to see traffic safety education begin at a very young age, so that it becomes part of the DNA in fact, and not only at the time when one becomes eligible for a licence. Having a car is like having a small weapon, it needs to be used with great responsibility and maturity. We have to also see that consistent refresher courses on speed limits, latest traffic safety trends, awareness workshops are held for drivers by organisations, so that the message is reinforced. This must run parallel to planning and decisions being debated and finally taken by authorities to be implemented into law."

Design sign

That is a taxing problem (pun intended) for Shashank Rao, president of Mumbai Auto Rickshaw and Taximen's Union. Rao said, "Cabs usually are for intra-city commutes and generally we do not see them driving at very high speed. The speed limit must be emphasised and all drivers must understand that limits have been defined for a reason. I cannot say that there is absolutely no risk, there will be some risk when in a vehicle, there always is. Yet keeping within speed limits is key."

The president added that "manufacturers, safety feature designers, I am not an expert in that arena, may have to come up with a seatbelt designed for three rear passengers in cabs. It can go across. When there is one passenger, he can be seated in the middle. Something can be worked out design-wise."