Riding without helmet is a major menace in India and numerous efforts by the police as well as administration have failed to persuade all the riders to wear a safety helmet while riding 2-wheelers. However, a recent innovative move by the administration is bound to change things, at least for the riders of Noida and Greater Noida. There are reports stating that the administration here has decided that the riders who will not be wearing helmets will be refused refueling at fuel stations. The administration has issued a directive to the fuel stations regarding the same. The rule will be enforced in the entire region from 1 June 2019. The order will first be enforced in the cities only but in the coming time the order will be enforced in the rural areas of the district as well. The move is aimed at curbing the problem of riding without helmet in the city, something that remains a major problem and leads into minor accidents turning lethal ones. The order also extends to the pillion rider and it is vital that the two people on the two-wheeler use helmet so that the two-wheeler can be refueled.
The administration spoke about the order and stated,
“Those who reach your fuel stations without a helmet should be told that they will only get fuel if they wear a helmet. This practice will be implemented from June 1 in Noida and Greater Noida cities initially,”
Not just refusal to refuel the bike but if the customers misbehave with the fuel station staff regarding the order, further action possibly legal can be taken against the customers. This action may also extend to the suspension of the driving licence of the people who break the rules and misbehave with the staff. The order reads,
“When those without helmet reach filling stations, their details and vehicle numbers would be traced through CCTV footage and legal action initiated against them. Their driving license can also be cancelled,”
This is a very simple and an ingenious move that aims to curb the menace of helmet-less riding in the area. This move will force the riders to wear helmets because everybody needs to get their vehicle refueled at regular intervals. Previously the riders had it easy as the enforcement of the law was not that strict and often the absence of traffic police in a particular area meant that the rule breakers had a free run in the area. The Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 states that not wearing a helmet while riding a two-wheeler is a violation of the law and can draw imprisonment up to six months under Indian Penal Code section 188.
Similar efforts have been taken in other parts of the country as well and have shown promising results during the time they were enforced. Generally such initiatives lose steam over time and go out of practice. One can only hope that the Noida administration is serious regarding the order. Meanwhile the fuel station have also been asked to widely publicize the laws that are set to take effect come June 1.