An event was organised by the traffic police and the Transport Department at SVU Srinivasa Auditorium here on Friday, marking the 31st Road Safety Week. Deputy Transport Commissioner M. Basi Reddy flagged off the rally, where local legislator Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and Superintendent of Police (Tirupati Urban) Gajarao Bhupal rode two-wheelers wearing helmets, aiming to send a positive message among the public.
Though the Tirupati Urban police have already begun checking motorcyclists and slapping fine on violators, the public mood is grossly against enforcing it on the narrow and dingy lanes of the city. With the visiting pilgrim crowd occupying every inch of the already-crammed civic space, motorcyclists can hardly crawl in the old city areas comprising railway station, RTC bus station, Govindaraja Swamy temple, Chinna Bazaar, Bhavani Nagar and Korlagunta areas, where over-speeding is ruled out. The recent special drives conducted by the traffic cops in the heart of the city, where bulk of the two-wheeler riders were booked and fined drew criticism from road users. On the other hand, the Transport Department, which checks vehicles on highways where the use of helmet is most necessary, is able to send chill down the spine of erring motorcyclists.
Mr. Karunakar Reddy advised the youth to think of their beloved parents waiting at home before raising the accelerator, subtly reminding them that speed would hardly matter after a certain stage. Dr. Bhupal said the department’s insistence was only in the interest of the road users. “You should treat helmet not as a burden, but as an instrument of protection,” he said, maintaining that every road user should have concentration, physical fitness and proper safety gear while driving. Students, drivers of buses, cabs and autorickshaws took part in large numbers at the meet.
