VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the state police department to continue intensive awareness campaigns highlighting the importance of helmet use by two-wheeler riders.
The directive came while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Tandava Yogesh.
The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi, appreciated the rise in helmet usage in Vijayawada and underlined the need for statewide awareness on traffic safety and helmet compliance.
The bench instructed the Chief Secretary to act on the police department’s proposal for advertising funds to promote public awareness via newspapers and television.
The Court reiterated its earlier order mandating the use of body cameras by traffic police and sought a detailed implementation report.
It was informed that the state is integrating CCTV cameras with AP FiberNet to automate detection of traffic violations.
The High Court directed the Andhra Pradesh FiberNet Managing Director to file an affidavit on the project’s progress and added him as a respondent.
The next hearing is scheduled for August 20.
Petitioner Tandava Yogesh stressed that non-enforcement of the Central Motor Vehicle Amendment Rules has contributed to rising accidents.
He noted helmet enforcement is lax in rural areas and urged penalties, including vehicle seizure for unpaid fines.
He highlighted that 4,276 people died last year due to not wearing helmets.
Government Special Counsel S. Pranathi responded that consistent awareness programmes are being conducted and fine collections have increased. She confirmed the integration of CCTV with Andhra PradeshFiberNet is in progress and will take additional time to complete.