PUDUCHERRY: As there has been a rise in fatal accidents, particularly among two-wheel riders, the territorial administration has issued an order directing its employees to compulsorily wear helmets while riding two-wheelers, while the traffic police have been active in creating awareness near markets, traffic signals, schools and public places in the last three days.
The police have been advising people to wear good quality helmets at traffic junctions like Kamaraj square and Anna square, in front of institutions like Bharathidasan Women’s College and Petiti Seminaire HSS, Nellithope market, Grand Bazar market, among other places. The police have also warned of the imposition of a Rs 1,000 fine under section 49D and also disqualification of licence for three months for a first offence.
In the last four days, four people in Puducherry and one boy in Karaikal died in road accidents while riding two-wheelers without a helmet. From 2019 to 2021, there have been 3,410 road accidents in Puducherry and 445 deaths of two-wheeler riders, according to transport commissioner A S Sivakumar.
However, just 181 people have been fined for not wearing helmets between 2021 and 2022 September alone, while other offences are hardly booked by the traffic police starved of manpower. “With 90 per cent of two-wheeler riders not wearing a helmet, how many challans can we make? Compliance has to come," said an officer.
"All the two-wheeler riders who died were travelling without helmets. Last year (2021) there were 1,062 accidents of which 181 were fatal. Among them 107 were two-wheeler riders who suffered head injuries and died," said SP (traffic) C Maran, adding that the scenario is similar this year too. Wearing a helmet can prevent 80% of head injuries, he said
As Puducherry town is not very big, there has been a reluctance among two-wheeler riders to wear helmets. Political parties in power have also shied away from enforcing the wearing of helmets and have stood with riders over the fear of losing the vote bank. Then Lt Governor Kiran Bedi tried to enforce the rule and even stood on the road to compel people, but it did not succeed.
Another problem in Puducherry is the increase in the number of children riding two-wheelers without a driving license, said Sivakumar.
"They are not legally allowed to drive but are doing so with the permission of their parents. Parents of children who drive in this way will face imprisonment of up to 3 years and a fine of Rs 25,000 and the registration certificate of the vehicle will be cancelled for up to 12 months," warned Sivakumar.
Also, minors driving the vehicle will not be eligible to get a driving license up to the age of 25 years and will be prosecuted under the Juvenile Act.
The promotion of tourism and earning excise revenue through liquor sales has also affected enforcement, as the government wants enforcement agencies to go soft on traffic violations. Most young tourists who hire two-wheelers for movement not only drink and drive but break traffic rules. Even locals ride back home after having a drink at a bar.
“How do you expect a person to reach home from a bar if the traffic police start booking them," asks an MLA.