Comedian Atul Khatri's joke on seatbelt becomes one on him as Mumbai Police responds

Mumbai, Nov 02: Mumbai Police, known for witty tweets on Wednesday gave a strong response to stand-up comedian Atul Khatri making fun of the seatbelt rule that came into effect in the Maharashtra capital from Tuesday.

The tweet was in response to Khatri posting the photo of a t-shirt with a seatbelt printed on it asking the people of Mumbai to wear the safety equipment or buy the t-shirt.

"We shall keep them in stock for you, along with our challans. Your safety is never a joke! PS: If this ever will be the basis for a stand-up routine, ensure the message of safety is sent out as well," the police said in response to Khatri's tweet.

Not wearing seat belts in the back seats of cars will attract penalties in Mumbai now.

"All motor vehicle drivers and all commuters in vehicles, whoever travels on the roads of Mumbai are hereby informed that it will be mandatory for drivers and all passengers to wear seat belts while travelling from November 1," the Mumbai Police said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Traffic Police launched an awareness campaign for the implementation of the mandatory wearing of seat belts in vehicles.

The 10-day campaign began from November 1 to November 10, after which action will be taken against violators.

From November 11, offenders will be slapped with a fine of Rs 200 if they are caught without a seatbelt.

Seatbelt laws in India

The central government has made it mandatory for automakers to provide three-point seat belts for all front-facing passengers in a car.

According to the Motor Vehicle Act, wherever seat belts are provided, "it shall be ensured that the driver, and the person seated in the front seat or the persons occupying front facing rear seats, as the case may be, wear the seat belts while the vehicle is in motion".

However, in India, passengers generally do not wear seatbelts, not realising that this basic safety measure can turn out to be a lifesaver in case of an accident.