Kochi roads not designed for superbike riders

Kochi: While the number of youngsters showing off their powerful machines is rising with each passing day in the city, the lack of technical expertise combined with the absence of a proper legal mechanism is limiting the authorities from reining them in.

“Young brats seeking that tantalizing rush of adrenaline is turning the city into a playground and this trend can be arrested only through the use of advanced enforcement skills”, said Upendra Narayanan, road safety expert.

According to him, the designed speed of roads in Kochi, with its uneven terrain and crossings, was 100 km per hour while these bikers were regularly clocking a speed not below 150 kilometers.

“The police should be given sufficient training in using advanced vehicles to match their speed along with modern communication tools to initiate action”, he pointed out. “In addition, speed scanning censors should be installed at different points of the city’s interior roads, which is a preferred area for racing enthusiasts”, he added.

Meanwhile, officials of the Motor Vehicles department said that the absence of specifications with regard to the capacity of vehicles was proving to be a major barrier in regulating the influx of super bikes. An average of four bikes belonging to the over 500 cc category is being registered in the city on a weekly basis though the department has no provision to prevent its registration.

“They are riding with a pillion rider though most of these bikes are not meant to be ridden that way as the pillion rider’s weight falls on the rider, making it  difficult for the rider to control the bike in city traffic”’, explained BJ Antony, Road Transport Officer, Kochi.

He, however, held that the MVD was unable to prevent these bikes from getting registered as they came with a certification from the Automotive Research Association of India.