The “Wear helmet, get petrol-be safe” campaign of the Motor Vehicles Department in the cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Kozhikode to enforce the use of helmet by motorcyclists will commence on Monday.
Ending uncertainties that the government is not backing the campaign mooted by Transport Commissioner Tomin J. Thachankary, Minister for Transport A.K. Saseendran will kick off the campaign at a BPCL petrol pump at Irumbanom in Kochi on Monday.
The Transport Commissioner had announced that oil majors would not give petrol from August 1 to motorcyclists who did not wear helmets in the three cities.
But, in a directive in the wake of opposition to the move, Mr. Thachankary asked the field officers and those employed in the outlets to distribute leaflets on the need to wear helmet and advise those reaching petrol pumps without the headgear to use it.
In addition to MVD enforcement squads, the Transport Commissioner has sought the services of the local police and student police cadets for the awareness drive. Additional MVD personnel will also be pressed into service from the other districts in these cities.
The motorcyclists wearing helmets and filling petrol from the pumps will get coupons for a monthly lucky draw.
Joint Transport Commissioner, Enforcement, Rajeev Puthalath said those flouting the rules after two weeks would be booked. Penalty ranging from Rs.100 to Rs.1,000 could be imposed on offenders, he said.
