With the D-day approaching for the strict enforcement of the compulsory helmet rule from February 1 in Karimnagar district, sale of helmets has picked up with roadside shops offering varieties of helmets springing up.
More than 50 roadside helmet vendors are seen doing brisk business in different parts of the town. Demand is such that each trader is selling 30 to 50 helmets a day. This comes in the wake of an awareness drive launched by the district police about helmets being made compulsory and imposition of fine for violators through the e-challan system.
Brisk business
Helmets on offer at the shops are priced between ₹300 and 2,000 depending on the model. Salman, a roadside vendor, said he has been selling at least 40 helmets per day. He hoped that the business would continue with the strict enforcement of helmet rule.
A retired employee, P. Nagamohan, said he was forced to purchase the helmet to avoid fine.
“Actually, there is no need to implement the compulsory helmet rule in Karimnagar town which is spread over just five kilometres. Instead, police should enforce the helmet rule on all the State and National Highways where accidents are happening,” he said.
For rider safety
Commissioner of Police V.B. Kamalasan Reddy said all measures were taken to create awareness about the new rule. “Wearing a helmet is for the motorist’s safety since a majority of accident deaths were caused due to head injuries,” he pointed out.
