Crackdown on helmet-less pillion riders soon

After inculcating helmet wearing habits in two-wheeler drivers, district transport authorities and city traffic police are gearing up to ensure that the pillion riders wear protective headgear too. The enforcement agencies sprang into action after Joint Traffic Commissioner Shishir Kumar Sinha wrote to DTO office, Ranchi traffic police officials and Motor Vehicles Inspector for compliance of provisions in Motor Vehicle Act pertaining to the matter.

The sections 129 and 177 of the Act state that every person driving or riding a two wheeler must wear a protective headgear and contravention of this provision will amount to fines to the tune of Rs. 100 for both the driver and pillion rider. The protective gear, or helmet, must bear the Indian Standards Institution mark of approval. The only exceptions to these provisions are the followers of Sikhism if they are wearing a turban while driving a two-wheeler.

“We have been fining riders without helmets and that has garnered good results. And regualr emphasis has been put on pillion riders not wearing helmets too. But we find there is rampant apathy towards following rules. People do not care about their lives or the laws,” said Traffic SP Kartik S.

The practice of driving two-wheelers helmet-less has been almost thwarted with much effort but now its place has been taken by helmetless pillion riding.

“Almost every motorcycle rider in the city is no wearing helmets following the efforts made in this direction. But it has never been a part of pillion riders’ habit to wear helmets; but that is about to change soon. The campaigns to penalise helmetless drivers will now have special focus on pillion riders without helmets,” stated DTO Nagendra Paswan.

Quality of helmets worn by riders again puts a question mark over the effectiveness of the drive. Section 129 clearly states that the helmets should conform to the standard of Bureau of India Standard but to people tend to compromise on quality to save some money. Drives to curb street-side counters selling sub-standard helmets were also kicked off but in vain.