Soon,reflective tapes may be mandatory for bicycles

K K Kapila,Chairman,International Road Federation (IRF) said,“If the crucial decision making it mandatory to use retro-reflective is taken during this meet,it will make bicycles a safer mode of transportation on various busy roads,particularly during late hours.”

“The IRF,on the direction of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP),ministry of commerce and industries,had sent the proposal to the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for technical evaluation in March this year. After evaluating the proposal for about two months,the BIS is now ready with its findings and on August 19,BIS will place its findings before the bicycle manufacturers in Ludhiana,” Kapila said. “In the meeting,we will make a presentation on the need for using retro-reflective tapes in bicycles. We are hopeful that the proposal will be accepted and installation of such tapes in bicycles will become mandatory,” said Kapila.

The government is keen to make the use of reflective tapes in cycles mandatory,said an official of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. The matter has already been discussed with cycle manufacturing majors and All India Cycle Manufacturers’ Association.

According to the proposal,the tapes will be fixed on several parts of a bicycle – white tape on front lamp bracket,red tape on rear mud guard and yellow tape on seat stay and front fork.