Compulsory Wearing Helmets or no Petrol in Pune from New Year

MEGHA MURKYA

22 NOV 2018 : In an attempt to implement compulsory wearing helmet in Pune from 1 January 2018, Pune traffic department has agitated the protesters against the rule. Now Pune traffic police will soon be ordering petrol pumps to not provide petrol to the helmetless two-wheeler riders if they are not wearing helmets.

While talking on this to PuneMirror, Tejaswi Satpute, Deputy Commissioner of police (DCP) for traffic said, “Strict action will be taken against those found not wearing helmets. At every chowk, our cops will be present to book motorists not wearing helmets. Also, we are going to ask all the petrol pumps to not sell fuel to helmetless riders from January 1.”

This decision aims to curb the rising numbers in road accidents. Those not abiding by the rules will be fined heavily.

In the meantime, those against this diktat have formed the Anti-Helmet Compulsion Action Committee (AHCAC) to protest in different ways. A meeting was also held on Tuesday against this decision, where some NGO’s and politicians plan to approach the Police Commissioner and persuade him to change his decision on the basis that with narrow roads and metro work going on some places it is not possible to ride on high speeds, and wearing heavy helmets can cause more problems.

Although sales of helmet in the city have surged over the last few days, as dealers report that they have sold nearly 25 per cent more helmets than earlier.

Wearing helmets while riding can reduce the risk of head, neck, face and traumatic brain injuries (TBI); TBI being one of the most important causes of neuromotor disabilities and mortality in the world. Road traffic trauma is the sixth most common cause of death and will be the third leading cause of mortality and morbidity by 2030 in developing countries according to the world health organization (WHO).