Road Safety Awareness Campaign

Royal Enfield Riders’ Association of Meghalaya (RERAM) and Meghalaya XBhp Sports and Adventure Club in collaboration with the Shillong Traffic Police recently organised a Road Safety Awareness Campaign with a new twist. In an age where speeding bikers have become a hindrance to pedestrians and motorists alike, the members of these biking organisations have sought to address this problem by organising this awareness campaign.

In a motorcade of around 56 bikes all toting placards and accompanied by police personnel, the members of these two organisations handed out leaflets as they rode all around the streets of Shillong recently.

The Awareness Campaign was flagged off by the Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr. H.G. Lyngdoh and the active participation of the Police personnel in the campaign was of great help especially in controlling oncoming traffic from disrupting the formation of the riders.

Expounding the maxim that everything, taken in the proper way is a good thing, the bikers of these two organisations have sought to bring their fellow (albeit rash) bikers into the fold by setting a good example. Shillong is no stranger to accidents especially involving two wheelers and this has resulted in the demise of many young men. Lured by the thrill of speed and a feeling of invincibility, many young bikers throw caution to the wind and thereby endanger not only themselves but also pedestrians and fellow motorists.

Recognising the threat posed by these rash bikers, the Police Department of Shillong had launched a project whereby police personnel on motorbikes known as the ‘Flying Squad’ have been deployed to keep a check on this nuisance. Though a laudable effort, this project is only partially effective for as the maxim goes, ‘When the cat is away, the mice are at play.’

The only thing that can stop this trend of rash driving is a sense of responsibility in the bikers themselves and it seems that the members of REERAM and XBhp seem to have grasped this. There is a visible divide in the bikers of Shillong, on one hand we have responsible riders who understand the perils on the roads and on the other we have the rasher bikers who, devoid of sense and fear are forever in a race with God knows what or whom. Hopefully, through campaigns like this Road Safety Awareness Campaign, the cooler heads will prevail.