BENGALURU: A regular sight that greets commuters on Namma Metro trains is a handful of them tagging their helmets along during their ride. Their reasons seem to be varied: from lack of parking spaces at Metro stations to being scared of leaving the helmets behind with the vehicle, to being a pillion rider.
Brothers Rajat Khare and Parth Khare were spotted on a Metro train with helmets slung in their arms. Rajat works with a wealth management fund and parks his bike on one of the roads near Indira Nagar Metro station. “Since I just park it in the wayside somewhere, I am not sure if the helmet will be safe. So, I prefer to carry it,” he says.
Parth, who is studying a software testing course in Halasuru, carries the safety gear due to the intermittent rains. “I dislike donning the helmet when the sponge inside is soaked in water if I leave it behind with the vehicle and it rains. So, taking it along with me ensures it remains dry.”
Some, like Niranjan, even think it is a bit fashionable to carry along a helmet. The software employee, who travels from Baiyappanahalli to Trinity station regularly, says, “My helmet cannot be locked to the vehicle and anyone can unbuckle it easily even if I use a lock. So, I carry it along daily. When slung on my hand, if feels fashionable and I have seen some guys carry it on trains like this.”
Deepa, who works as a digital marketing executive at Indiranagar, is forced to carry her helmet along due to the new rules making helmets mandatory for pillion riders. “My friend drops me from my house at Ramamurthy Nagar to Baiyappanahalli Metro station daily in the morning. I wear it then and I am forced to carry it with me,” she says.
At railway stations across the City, parking contractors permit helmets to be left behind for sums ranging between `5 and `10. Metro officials could not be reached to check if any such arrangement could be put in place at their parking lots.