Hyderabad: Outrage over challans for pillion riders sans helmets

Hyderabad: Issuing challans and levying huge charges seem to have become a major source of revenue generation for the traffic police, rued the motorists, who were penalised for pillion riders not wearing helmets.

However, sticking to their ground, the traffic police maintained that wearing helmet by pillion rider was made compulsory long ago and since people were not following it, they had decided to challan them to bring some discipline. But, this has not gone down well with motorists who complained that levying the charges without carrying out any awareness campaign was illogical. "The enforcement of the rule, under the Motor Vehicle Act-1989, was not implemented in the city earlier. But it appears that it has now been suddenly enforced with several riders finding extra penalty levied on them via e-challans. This move by traffic police will impact lakhs of citizens," fumed Sampath Kumar, a web designer.

He noted, "I was astonished to find that I was sent a challan because my grandmother was not wearing a helmet and it was the day when I was taking her to hospital because she was not well and the ambulance was taking time to arrive. So, our family decided that I should take my grandmother on my bike and she also agreed to it. However, after two days, I received a message stating that I have been fined Rs 250 for pillion rider not wearing a helmet, and it really felt like police were mocking themselves because how can a senior citizen aged around 73 wear a helmet for going to hospital.

However, when I raised the issue with the concerned officials, they said that they cannot do anything about it and the challan has to be paid." Ashfaq Ahmed, a businessman, said, "The traffic police these days is not much concerned about controlling the traffic, but they are concerned about issuing challans. My mother never wore a helmet in her life and whenever, she tries to wear one, she becomes restless.

So, how can she wear a helmet and pillion ride along with me for long distances? On top of it, the traffic, pollution and mindless honking on city roads are another concern and it is practically impossible for my mother to wear a helmet and sit behind me on my bike. Now, the most problematic part is, if she has to go somewhere then she has to wear a helmet, if not, we should pay challan.

The entire system of penalising pillion riders for not wearing helmets is absurd and it should not be implemented." An officer from the traffic department said, "The rationale behind enforcing helmets for pillion riders is because pillion riders too die in case of accidents, and the enforcement of the rule will help in saving lives. As per the latest data available, 36 pillion riders died in 2019 along with 106 riders without helmets and the number has doubled in 2020. Pillion riders are the third most susceptible category of road users prone to fatalities after pedestrians and two-wheeler riders."