Conrad, Devilboy, Dragon, Hru and everyone else who was a part of this Shillong Road Safety Awareness Campaign...my heartiest congratulations for a job done exceedingly well. This is probably one of those benchmark road safety awareness campaigns. Your organizing ability and efforts are amply demonstrated by the numbers who participated and the enthusiasm that's visible even in the photos. The content of the pamphlet that you people distributed was also pretty appropriate and comprehensive. And so were the catchy and apt slogans on the placards. I couldn't help but post a few of the notables here:

• Chance takers are accident makers
• Get smart - use safety from the start
• Drinking + driving = death
• Safety...if you forget, you'll regret
• Safety isn't expensive...its priceless
• Don't learn safety by accident
• Safety is as simple as ABC - Always Be Careful
• Prepare and prevent instead of repair and repent
• A spill, a slip, a hospital trip!
• Courtesy and common sense promote safety

Thanks a lot once again for this wonderful initiative and the entire xBhp brotherhood across this nation would be looking forward to lots of such action from you all in times to come.

PS: It would have been perfect if each and every pillion had a helmet on too. I am sure you all will make sure it happen the next time.

Ride long and safe...
OF

Congrats guys...great job.

Riding for a Message – Drive Safe
Written by the Editor
Sunday, 05 September 2010 11:12

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept. 04:
It roared and thundered in the Shillong city on Saturday as people looked around in bewilderment to find the cause. The traffic eased out, cars sidelined and the path became clear. Pamphlets flew in, rain poured over, but the line kept moving.

Trickles of water flowed from chin, and helmets as the bikers of the Royal Enfield Riders Association of Meghalaya (RERAM), Shillong and the Meghalaya xBhp Sports and Adventure Club (MXSAC) in collaboration with the Shillong Traffic Police zoomed through the roads of the city promoting Road Safety. During the ride, pamphlets were handed out to people containing information on safe riding and motoring.

The huge bike rally, with participation of 56 bikes and almost double the riders took to support the cause as numerous cases of rash driving and drunk driving has come to the light recently. The Road Safety Awareness Campaign comes as a need of the hour due to the increasing number of four wheelers on roads, which has increased the duration of travel from one point to other in the city. It has, therefore, compelled many to opt for two wheelers and zip-zap through the narrow gaps between the cars and trucks.

However, it has also led many inexperienced riders to take chances into getting into high gears rapidly and fall victim to speed-addiction, leading to many accidents in the recent past. Due to uncontrolled speed and unawareness of the traffic rules, the situation has only aggravated.

Speaking to Meghalaya Times, President of RERAM, P. S. Wajri, said that, ‘there could have been more bikes but the authorities restricted the number of bikes to 50 only." However, he was happy with the participation and the way things went about. He thanked the Shillong City Traffic Department for being so supportive for the campaign.

In fact, he disclosed, when they approached the department to discuss the matter, the officials immediately approved the idea. They made necessary arrangements in maneuvering the traffic for the smooth movement of the bikes through the city roads. The traffic department had recently made an announcement that hey will soon be launching a ‘flying Squad’ to check on the hurrying riders on the roads of the city.

Wajri also expressed hearty gratitude to the xBhp group as they had played a big part in organizing the event. He joking said, "We only played the role of a big brother and all the running around and arrangements were done by the members of xBhp." He quoted them as ‘great help and support’.

RERAM, a group of Royal Enfield bike enthusiasts and riders, are supposed to be an exclusive group that hardly share space with other rider groups. However, the cause got two generation of bikers together, RERAM and xBhp, both different in riding styles and bikes, for a common cause of promoting ‘safe riding’.

The Campaign was in collaboration with the Shillong Traffic Police, Goenka Bajaj, Meghalaya Times, Panorama, Addidas, Bombay Biites and Two Wheel Centre and Spinning Wheels.

Flying Squad and the bikers
Written by the Editor
Tuesday, 07 September 2010 05:53

Thomas Lim
Speaking the known language among the community makes the dissemination of information faster, is the well known facts. So also one could express the pain much better when one goes through it. It is most benefiting when the bike riders themselves organized the Road Safety Awareness Campaign on Safe Motoring or Riding Tips.

On Saturday, September 4, 2010, can be marked as the Red Letter day as the bikers of the Royal Enfield Riders Association of Meghalaya (RERAM), Shillong and the Meghalaya xBhp Sports and Adventure Club (MXSAC) in collaboration with the Shillong Traffic Police zoomed through the roads of the city promoting Road Safety.

Braving the rain, the Bikers handed out pamphlets to people containing 16 points information on safe riding and motoring, also spelling out who are biker – and surely not one only take biking as style, but with passion for speed and value of life, of both self and others. Especially in such present traffic congested road.

The Rally covered the following area: Dhanketi via St’ Edmunds-Nongthymmai Point- Sawlad - Lapalang- Rynjah- Nongrim-Laitumkhrah- Barik- Civil- Police Bazar-Ward’s Lake-Botinical Garden-Polo-Forest Colony-Mawlai Phudmawri-Mawlai Petrol Pump-Garikhanna-and terminates at Parking Lot near Youth Hostel, that at Laban Sports Club, and a follow-up of creating such awareness through pamphlets will continue, informed the members of MXSCA.

In the state of Punjab, such bikers have been observed by both the Central and State Governments, maximum members of MXSAC are youngsters of the state, some are students, some employed, but most of them are looking for job.

The state Police Department is contemplating to set up a ‘flying Squad’ for the Traffic Branch, to check on the hurrying riders on the roads of the city. Here is the readymade youth to be recruited, as Punjab government had done in the past.

The state government under the leadership of the Former Chief Minister, Dr D D Lapang had assured that, this year the traffic congestion in the city needs a permanent solution, he too had advocated such flying squad, but due to the change of leadership in the state, the execution of such plan had also delayed, however, the present government under the leadership of Dr Mukul M Sangma too is eager to do the same, such youth actually could be recruited for the specific work.

As mentioned, only the one who have experience pain will understand its feeling, and here are the MXSAC, (as RERAM have mostly self-employed or employed members), if such youth are employed for the said job, which is not only their hobby but passion, the deliverance will surely be cent per cent.

The competitive world now, have actually no more scope for any individual to learn the art on job, all we need now is action on day one of the job, is there any better bargain for the Shillong Traffic Police than MXSAC.

Conrad, Devilboy, Dragon, Hru and everyone else who was a part of this Shillong Road Safety Awareness Campaign...my heartiest congratulations for a job done exceedingly well. This is probably one of those benchmark road safety awareness campaigns. Your organizing ability and efforts are amply demonstrated by the numbers who participated and the enthusiasm that's visible even in the photos. The content of the pamphlet that you people distributed was also pretty appropriate and comprehensive. And so were the catchy and apt slogans on the placards. I couldn't help but post a few of the notables here:

• Chance takers are accident makers
• Get smart - use safety from the start
• Drinking + driving = death
• Safety...if you forget, you'll regret
• Safety isn't expensive...its priceless
• Don't learn safety by accident
• Safety is as simple as ABC - Always Be Careful
• Prepare and prevent instead of repair and repent
• A spill, a slip, a hospital trip!
• Courtesy and common sense promote safety

Thanks a lot once again for this wonderful initiative and the entire xBhp brotherhood across this nation would be looking forward to lots of such action from you all in times to come.

PS: It would have been perfect if each and every pillion had a helmet on too. I am sure you all will make sure it happen the next time.

Ride long and safe...
OF