A notification making helmets mandatory for women pillion riders is likely to be issued within a week. The Chief Electoral Office (CEO) of Delhi has given green signal to Transport Department to go ahead with the move. Following the direction of lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, Transport Department has moved a proposal to make wearing of helmets mandatory for woman pillion riders. Citing the risk in riding scooter or motorbike without helmet, the department has sought permission from the Electoral Office of Delhi for issuing a gazette notification about making it mandatory for women pillion riders to wear the gear.
The Delhi Government’s decision came after the Delhi High Court verdict making helmet wearing compulsory for pillion riders irrespective of their gender and religion. However, the Government has been delaying the implementation following the opposition from the Sikh community.
“The Electoral Office of Delhi has decided to allow Transport Department to go ahead with its proposal for publishing draft rules regarding mandatory wearing of helmets by women. There are routine administrative issues and the Electoral Office may clear it at own level,” said Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Dev. It is noted that Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and other Sikh organisations have opposed the Transport Department move and urged lieutenant-Governor not to allow the proposal.
The Delhi Government had earlier opposed moves to force women pillion passengers to wear crash helmets because it is a “sensitive issue” and will be unpopular with women who fear it will ruin their hair. The Sahib Singh Verma Government had made it optional in 1993. Under Motor Vehicles Act all riders and passengers must wear crash helmets, but the Delhi Government allowed a religious exemption initially for Sikh men and women but later extended it to all women.
Expressing its concern over number of accidents taking place on city’s roads, the Transport Department in the communiqué has cited reasons that two riders die everyday on city roads and helmets will help save lives. The move of the department has been prompted by the Central Government as a research on road safety has found women pillion riders perishing in road accidents.
“The proposed notification is for the purpose of inviting suggestions/objections from the public on the draft rules which would be taken into consideration by the Government prior to amending the rules after the expiry of the period of 30 days from the date of publishing of this notification,” they said.