It was a great victory for pillion rider safety when the State government made it mandatory for passengers to wear helmets around the beginning of this year. With strict enforcement and special drives, the Bangalore Traffic Police (BTP) has managed to convince most riders to invest in an additional helmet for the pillion rider as well.
But ride a little further from the city centre and the pillion-helmet rule is almost non-existent. Within two months of the rule being enforced, a whopping 91,942 cases have been booked. However, the rule has not caught on in the outskirts owing to poor enforcement as well as a general lack of enthusiasm among motorists.
Areas like Whitefield, Kengeri and Nelamangala are yet to see the strict enforcement of the rule. Spotting a pillion rider wearing a helmet is more of a rarity in these areas. Even those with helmets decide to take them off as soon as they get out of the city.
While the rule has drawn flak from the general public for the additional burden it imposes on motorists, a large section has come out strongly in support of the rule. “I advised all my friends to invest in a proper helmet for the pillion rider instead of buying cheap ones from the roadside. It is good that it has finally become a rule,” says Manikandan N., a bike club member.
With the traffic police showing no signs of yielding, one can only hope that people living on the outskirts do not end up paying fines a few times before going out and buying that additional helmet.
(Reporting by Avinash Bhat)
