In a bid to ensure a safe ride, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made anti-lock braking system (ABS) mandatory from this month for all two-wheelers. Officials from the state transport department said that all the new two-wheelers that are 125cc and above need to have ABS from April 1.

It is also mandatory for existing two-wheelers to retrofit ABS by March 2019. Two-wheelers below the 125cc capacity will come fitted with combined braking system (CBS). "This is a major step towards safety of the biker and pillion," said a senior transport official. "This new braking system will prevent skidding of two-wheelers and immediately bring it to a halt. However, if a rider is not trained well then a vehicle coming from behind could ram into the motorbike," said Yogesh Ambe, transport expert, Bloomberg Philanthropy for Road Safety.

The challenge that lies ahead for the RTOs is inspection of the 2.3 crore two-wheelers across Maharashtra for ABS, including the 20 lakh bikes in Mumbai. Currently, there is no mechanism to check if a two-wheeler has ABS. Also, people are not aware of ABS and the registered outlets where it can be installed. "Unlike taxis and autos which are inspected every three years for fitness, the two-wheelers come for checks once every 15 years. This makes inspection of the ABS difficult," said an RTO official.

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