Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has scrapped the decision to make seat belts compulsory for all passengers in cars, including those occupying the rear seats. At present, the seat belt is mandatory for car drivers.
In the backdrop of Union minister Gopinath Munde’s death in a car accident earlier this month, transport commissioner Rishiraj Singh had issued a circular on June 5 making seat belts mandatory for all four-wheeler passengers.
Transport minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told the Assembly on Friday that the Transport Commissioner’s circular would be withdrawn considering the inconveniences caused by it.
“Though the Motor Vehicles Act provides for making seat belts mandatory for all passengers, strictly enforcing such norms will cause severe inconvenience to the public. Hence the Transport Commissioner’s circular would be withdrawn,” he said in reply to a submission.
Congress MLA K. Sivadasan Nair, who raised the issue in the House, flayed the directive on seat belts.
“Just because some reports suggested that Gopinath Munde’s life could have been saved had he used seat belt, some officials made seat belts mandatory for all passengers.
Enforcement of such directives is causing severe hardships to the public,” said.
He also alleged that the directive was issued by the Transport Commissioner to gain publicity.
