Bikers Sans Helmets Not To Be Supplied Petrol From First December; To Be Barred From Entering Mall Road

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Nov, 2018 ) :The district administration has imposed ban on motorcyclists without helmets to get petrol from petrol pumps and also barred them entering the Mall Road and Peshawar Road.

In a drastic move, the district administration will take strict action against petrol pumps giving fuel to motorcyclists without helmet.

According to a notification issued by Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Maliha Jamal, the ban would be imposed from first December.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Dr. Umar Jahangir on the recommendation of City Traffic Officer has issued directions to all petrol pumps not to give petrol to motorcyclists without helmet.

The Rawalpindi district administration on the recommendation from the Rawalpindi Chief Traffic Officer has also issued a notification to ban the entry of helmet-less motorcyclists to the Mall Road and Peshawar Road from the first of December.

CTP spokesman talking to APP said that the CTP had launched a campaign to make helmets compulsory for all motorbike riders on the directives of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

As part of the drive, he said the CTP has issued nearly 21,000 tickets to bikers for not using helmets and imposed over six million rupees fines for violating the rules in just the past 17 days.

Moreover, he said the CTP had impounded over 3400 motorbikes within the remits of different police stations during this period. He said the CTP had decided to strictly implement the rules for motorbike riders to ensure their safety.

In order to facilitate bikers, the local management and traffic officials have also established stalls of helmets where motorcyclists could buy all kinds of helmets on cheaper prices than open market shops.

The local management has established helmet stalls here at Kutchery Chowk, Mareer Hassan and Jhelum Road. The stalls of local management are selling a low quality helmet at Rs.

500 against Rs. 700 in open market shops while fine quality helmet at Rs. 800 against Rs.1500 in open market shops.

Amid the ongoing crackdown of City Traffic Police (CTP) Rawalpindi against helmet rule violators, the motorcyclists are decrying the heavy fines being imposed and skyrocketing prices as well as poor quality of the helmets, which the authorities concerned have failed to keep a check on.

People have complained that taking advantage of the action, the helmet traders are either selling them at exorbitant rates and those cheaper are substandard.

During a survey conducted in different helmet markets, it was observed that the traders have almost double the prices of helmets from the rates prior to the campaign.

The basic purpose of a helmet is to protect a rider from head injurie in case of a road mishap; however, it has been observed that citizens are buying helmets without checking their quality.

Most of the helmets available in markets are made of substandard materials, thus putting bikers' lives at stake.

A helmet buyer, Mustaq while talking to APP said that he was not aware of the quality standards of helmets, but could tell that prices had been jacked as compared to last month.

He said that he had no other option but to buy a helmet to avoid challans and was of the view that authorities should take action against the high prices and low quality of helmets to protect motorbike riders from injury.

Faisal, a motorbike spare parts dealer said traders had to increase prices of helmets as the wholesale prices had been increased.

He said only 15 to 20 per cent bikers used helmets in the city and therefore, there had never been such a demand for helmets earlier. He lamented that thegovernment had not given ample time to importers and commented that traders should atleast been provided three months so they should import more helmets.