The law is something that must be fair to everyone. It is the same to every child, teenager, and adult in the country. The Policeman is the person that up holds the law irrespective of their titles and positions and is respected by everyone in this country.
Now, when a certain law is newly enforced, it is the responsibility of all the police stations to enforce it throughout the country on the same day, in same manner. However, it seems this is not the case. A recently enforced law caused mopeds with pedals to have, helmets, license and registration. I have obtained my learners permit and displayed the “L” board on my moped bike, and obtained insurance. However, I have not obtained my registration as there is a lack of documents to obtain such and have always worn my helmet. On my way to Colombo I was stopped by a police unit and was fined for driving a bike without “registration”.
But when I took it up with others who I know and ride the same bike they just laughed at me, as they were never caught or fined. This is because they ride there bikes in other parts of Colombo which for some reason the law is not enforced. These people say to me “See, you respect the law too much, that why you get the bad part of it!” there is slight problem when trying to argue this point after what happened to me. Shouldn't the law be glad that I’m displaying “L” (learning) boards after having ridden my moped for two and a half years for 18,000KM in the Colombo city.
There are kids ridding these moped Pedal bikes at maximum speeds of 50KM/h, this is something to note as there is argument on this with people as they think the sound of the bike means speed. If you go over 50KM/h on a pedal moped, you will blow the engine. They ride it without any helmet, insurance, “medical certificate” or registration, while I have to leave my bike home and watch them through a window of a smelly bus full of people squashed together. How can I open my mouth and say “The law is equal to everyone”. Also “real” pedal mopeds cannot climb even small hills without using the pedals to pedal them up, so there is a doubt as to if they even classify as a motorcycle.
Even in other countries the licensing requirements are less for mopeds as they provide safe transport for many teenagers below the licensing age. And seeing the high transport and costs as well as uncomfortable overloaded, smelly public transport, the mopeds should be a good solution to many teenagers and adults. However everything is a two-way sword, people must have the freedom of selecting the way they want to go, who’s to say public transport is safer than a moped? I propose that instead of trying to classify mopeds as motorcycles, new regulations should be put in place to bring in Insurance schemes and flexible registration systems for mopeds. There are people that say teenagers are ride like crazy! I ask you, who’s to say every teenager rides like crazy? And who’s to say adults don’t ride like crazy? EVERYTHING is a two-way sword. It’s just depicted in the way people want to see it.
Even though the media in the country ramps around A-Z talking politics, they are not forcing on these issues. The media in this country has clearly forgotten what its responsibilities and what they are suppose to publish thus have lost the attention of many educated people in the country. While they attack other political individuals without any problem, articles like these are considered “controversial” and never published.
I ask any media (website, paper, TV, radio) a who remembers the true meaning of media to publish this.
-Chirantha Amerasinghe
Aged 20.
Now, when a certain law is newly enforced, it is the responsibility of all the police stations to enforce it throughout the country on the same day, in same manner. However, it seems this is not the case. A recently enforced law caused mopeds with pedals to have, helmets, license and registration. I have obtained my learners permit and displayed the “L” board on my moped bike, and obtained insurance. However, I have not obtained my registration as there is a lack of documents to obtain such and have always worn my helmet. On my way to Colombo I was stopped by a police unit and was fined for driving a bike without “registration”.
But when I took it up with others who I know and ride the same bike they just laughed at me, as they were never caught or fined. This is because they ride there bikes in other parts of Colombo which for some reason the law is not enforced. These people say to me “See, you respect the law too much, that why you get the bad part of it!” there is slight problem when trying to argue this point after what happened to me. Shouldn't the law be glad that I’m displaying “L” (learning) boards after having ridden my moped for two and a half years for 18,000KM in the Colombo city.
There are kids ridding these moped Pedal bikes at maximum speeds of 50KM/h, this is something to note as there is argument on this with people as they think the sound of the bike means speed. If you go over 50KM/h on a pedal moped, you will blow the engine. They ride it without any helmet, insurance, “medical certificate” or registration, while I have to leave my bike home and watch them through a window of a smelly bus full of people squashed together. How can I open my mouth and say “The law is equal to everyone”. Also “real” pedal mopeds cannot climb even small hills without using the pedals to pedal them up, so there is a doubt as to if they even classify as a motorcycle.
Even in other countries the licensing requirements are less for mopeds as they provide safe transport for many teenagers below the licensing age. And seeing the high transport and costs as well as uncomfortable overloaded, smelly public transport, the mopeds should be a good solution to many teenagers and adults. However everything is a two-way sword, people must have the freedom of selecting the way they want to go, who’s to say public transport is safer than a moped? I propose that instead of trying to classify mopeds as motorcycles, new regulations should be put in place to bring in Insurance schemes and flexible registration systems for mopeds. There are people that say teenagers are ride like crazy! I ask you, who’s to say every teenager rides like crazy? And who’s to say adults don’t ride like crazy? EVERYTHING is a two-way sword. It’s just depicted in the way people want to see it.
Even though the media in the country ramps around A-Z talking politics, they are not forcing on these issues. The media in this country has clearly forgotten what its responsibilities and what they are suppose to publish thus have lost the attention of many educated people in the country. While they attack other political individuals without any problem, articles like these are considered “controversial” and never published.
I ask any media (website, paper, TV, radio) a who remembers the true meaning of media to publish this.
-Chirantha Amerasinghe
Aged 20.
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