Now, get fined for taking a helmetless pillion rider in Ahmedabad

AHMEDABAD: Intensifying the crackdown against rule breakers, city traffic police have begun targeting helmetless pillion riding. Leveraging footage from the thousands of CCTV cameras installed across Ahmedabad, traffic cops have begun issuing e-challans, said a senior traffic police officer.

The e-challans are issued against the two-wheeler rider carrying a helmetless pillion rider.

Recently, a Naranpura resident received a Rs 500 e-challan for flouting the helmet rule. When he saw his photograph printed on the challan, he found the challan had been issued because of his friend who was riding pillion without a helmet. Another man from Satellite said that he received an e-challan because his female friend was riding pillion without a helmet.

According to the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, pillion riders must wear a helmet that meets central govt standards when riding a two-wheeler in a public place. The helmet must be made of a material, shape and construction that can protect the rider from injury in an accident. The helmet should be securely fastened to the wearer's head, the law states.

Confirming this N N Chaudhary, joint commissioner of police, traffic, said there is a rule making helmets mandatory for pillion riders, and it is being implemented. According to city traffic police data, as many as 6.6 lakh citizens were fined Rs 33.47 crore between Jan 1 and Nov 19 this year for not wearing helmets.

During this period, a total of 14.79 lakh traffic offenders were fined Rs 103 crore for 12 types of traffic violations.

Helmet rule violation led the tally, accounting for Rs 33.47 crore in fines, followed by speeding at Rs 19.38 crore, jumping signals at Rs 16.74 crore, and parking on the wrong side at Rs 14.70 crore.

Santosh Yadav, a Chandkheda resident had his reservations about the crackdown.

He said that traffic police should regulate traffic before going on an overzealous drive to slap fines on pillion riders.



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