NO HELMET, NO PETROL:TRAFFIC COPS ISSUE ROAD SAFETY WARNING TO COMMUTERS

Road safety is of utmost importance. Not just one's own safety, but of all those who are on road. In a major step, the Pune traffic department will order petrol pumps to not sell petrol to people on two-wheelers not wearing their helmets from January 1, 2019.

While it is certainly a positive step to avoid accidents, the potential imposition of this order has riled up certain sections of the city’s populace.

“Along with other violations, strict action will also be taken against those found not wearing helmets. At every chowk, our cops will be present to book motorists avoiding helmets. Also, we are going to ask all petrol pumps to not sell fuel to helmetless riders from January 1,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for traffic Tejaswi Satpute.

In strong opposition to this move, certain political and socio-activist groups are set to conduct protests against the proposed move.

“In a city like Pune, where there are narrow roads, the upcoming Metro, and several other road projects going on, it is anyway not possible to drive over a speed of 40 kmph. Meanwhile, wearing a two kg helmet can lead to several spine-related issues. Earlier, I used to wear a helmet constantly over a long duration, and suffered because of it,” said one activist.