Despite opposition by certain quarters, the Delhi Transport Department has decided to go ahead with the law making helmet mandatory for women pillion riders. Citing the risk in riding scooter or motorbike without helmet, the department has sought permission from the Election Commission of India (EC) 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.
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. lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung has already given a green signal, permitting Transport Department to go ahead with its proposal.
“The main risk factor for motorised two-wheeler users is the non-use of helmets and head injuries are the major cause of death, injury and disability among them. Many of these head injuries could have been prevented or their severity reduced through the use of helmets. In the above circumstances and considering the views of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Delhi Traffic Police and Delhi Commission for Women, to make helmets mandatory for women riders including pillion passengers,” said Transport Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti.
“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,” the letter said.
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. Supporters of tougher rules said there had been a surge of deaths among women in road accidents in recent years, many of them pillion scooter and bike passengers.