Amazon, Flipkart, Others Ordered To Stop Selling Seat Belt Alarm Stopper Clips Snapdeal, Shopclues and Meesho too have been instructed to do the same
By S Shanthi
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The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued orders against Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues and Meesho for selling car seat belt alarm stopper clips in violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. Around 13,118 car seat belt alarm stopper clips have been removed from the five e-commerce platforms.
The ministry of consumer affairs reportedly said that selling such products violates consumer rights. It also comes under unfair trade practices. CCPA is headed by chief commissioner Nidhi Khare, who is also the additional secretary in the consumer affairs department.
What the Central Motor Vehicles Rules say
According to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules,1989, it is mandatory to wear seat belts."One year from the date of commencement of the Central Motor Vehicles (Sixth Amendment) Rules, 2000, the manufacturer of every construction equipment vehicle other than an agriculture tractor shall equip every such vehicle with a seat belt for the driver and for the person occupying the front seat, and with a rearview mirror," it said.
That is why the ministry has said that online sales of such items that compromise passengers' safety should be banned. Stopping the alarm beep when not wearing seat belts can be unsafe and dangerous to the life and safety of consumers, the ministry noted.
The concern was raised by the Department of Consumer Affairs, which sent a letter from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to CCPA. The letter spoke about the issue of the blatant sale of car seat belt alarm stopper clips. It also requested for action on errant vendors or online platforms and the issuance of an advisory.
Incidentally, days after Cyrus Mistry's car accident last year, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways of India issued a new set of draft rules. that will make it mandatory to install an alarm system for rear seat belts as well. And, notably, that was when e-commerce platforms were asked to stop selling gadgets that could disable seat belt alarms in a car.
