Belagavi police have requested petrol pump owners to refuse to sell fuel to motorcycle owners who come without helmets. The move is likely to come into force on Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Seema Latkar held a meeting of petrol pump owners and managers in her office here on Tuesday and urged them to spread awareness about using helmet and safety by refusing to sell petrol to such two-wheeler owners.
The petrol pump owners kept quiet throughout the meeting, though some expressed reservations.
They felt that this idea would drastically reduce their sales.
However, the police officer promised them that the riders would come back to the pump with a helmet the same day or the next day.
“It will work when all of you decide to refuse to sell fuel to riders without helmets,” she said. However, pump operators were not fully convinced.
“We will definitely suffer losses if we implement this rule,” said an operator from Tilakwadi. There are some pumps on the outskirts and on the ring roads. Most of their clients are heavy vehicles and four-wheelers. “But for us inside the city, a majority of our customers are two-wheeler riders. We cannot keep quarrelling with them every day,” he said.
Police officials will visit petrol pumps starting Wednesday to see if two-wheeler riders arrive at the pumps with helmets.
Police officials have been asked to speak politely to two-wheeler riders and request them to start wearing helmets and not to fine them, a senior officer said. No order has been issued by the Police Commissioner who enjoys magisterial powers in this regard, police sources said.
