Chandigarh, Jan 1 (IANS) It is not only the increasing number of vehicles on Chandigarh roads that is creating problems for traffic police here but also the rising number of electronically-powered bikes, better known as e-bikes, which do not require any license or registration to operate. “In 2008 there were many accidents involving the e-bikes on the city roads. Keeping this fact in mind, we have proposed making it compulsory for e-bike users to wear helmets and to get the vehicles registered,” Superintendent of Police (traffic) H.S. Doon told reporters here Thursday.

There has been a tremendous responses to e-bikes, which run at the one-tenth of the cost of their petrol-run competitors and come in the range of 36-48 volts. On a single recharge, the bikes will run for 60 km.

Doon was speaking on the occasion of inauguration of the 20th Road Safety Week Jan 1-7 in the union territory of Chandigarh. The motto of this year’s Road Safety Week is ‘Carefully drive, Reach alive’.

Doon said Chandigarh traffic police were the first in the country to prepare a book for school students, containing all the rules and regulations for road safety.

“We are in talks with education department to dedicate a 30-minute period everyday for the study of this book in every school here,” he added.

Traffic police here are also installing CCTV cameras at all traffic signals and at the roundabouts to keep a tab on traffic violators.

Recently, the Chandigarh police introduced the concept of speed governors in all the school buses ferrying students. Now they are also planning to introduce a similar regulation for all buses plying on city roads.

“All the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU) buses will be fitted with speed governors. The maximum speed for buses will be reserved at 50 km per hour,” said Doon.