MUMBAI: Getting licence for a two-wheeler in the island city will not now be a detailed procedure wherein you will have to go through a bike simulator training and test before appearing for the final road test for the licence.
State transport commissioner Avinash Dhakne himself took a virtual ride on the city's first bike simulator before launching the service for licence applicants at Tardeo RTO on Friday afternoon.
"While we will train the youth on the simulator for a single day, it is his or her responsibility to wear helmets and observe road safety and traffic rules for a lifetime."
Regional transport officer Bharat Kalaskar said: "The latest road crash data shows that 350 people who lost their lives annually in road crashes in Mumbai, out of which 166 were 2 wheelers. We need to focus on the safety of two-wheeler riders, especially those sitting on pillion."
Joint transport commissioner Jitendra Patil said: "We have taken a step ahead in the field of road safety and partnered with United Way Mumbai for the project. This model will be replicated soon at other RTOs in the city."
George Aikara, CEO of United Way Mumbai, which has provided the bike simulator, said: "As per the road accident statistics in India, two-wheeler riders form 46% among the fatalities, thus making them vulnerable road users. On the other side, there is a dearth of professional training facilities for two wheeler riders in India. United Way Mumbai is working to bridge this gap through public private partnership. In collaboration with the RTO Mumbai Central, we will train all the applicants of two-wheeler license in safe riding skills. With the use of the two-wheeler simulator, our intent is to make this training more engaging and comprehensive for the participants.”
