Wearing helmets mandatory for pillion riders too: P’kula police

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 21

Fearing challan by the traffic police, women in the city are taking to wearing helmets. 

Some of them are borrowing it from husbands, leaving the latter to fend for themselves. 

After the notification issued by the Haryana Government, the traffic police launched a special campaign on Friday to challan women driving two-wheelers without helmets. They also informed them that pillion riders would also have to wear helmets for safety, as ordered by the Apex Court.

Traffic police in-charge Suresh Kumar said more than 625 women drivers without helmet had been challaned by the police till now. He said more than 20 women were challaned on Friday. 

Sources said the traffic police had demanded the women staff to streamline the challaning process. Currently, relaxation is being given to women on health grounds and a medical certificate in from the CMO is necessary to claim it, besides Sikhs wearing turbans are also an exception to the rule.

Hearing public interest litigation (PIL), the High Court had remarked that there was no check on two-wheeler drivers for not wearing helmets. 

Suresh Kumar said women should buy good quality helmets. He said the women should check the material inside the helmets for comfort. He said helmet visors should be plain to avoid problems while riding in the night hours.