Since a past few days, a special team comprising of Royapettah Traffic police and police from the Armed forces has started imposing fines on helmetless pillion riders at Kamarajar Salai, opposite to light house.
Now, apart from imposing fines on two wheeler drivers without helmet, the police has started fining Rs.100 for helmetless pillion riders too. So if both are not wearing helmet, a fine of Rs 200 will be imposed.
“Following Madras High Court order, Police Commissioner A. K. Viswanathan has made it compulsory to fine helmetless pillion riders,” says a traffic police who was here.
On July 5, since the police fined without prior notice/warning, many motorists were agitated. Some said they were unaware of the new rule.
“Recently, a lot of accidents have happened on this road, and hence our department has formed a special team to bring mandatory helmet rule to pillion riders as well”, said Mohammed Mohideen Shah, Royapettah Traffic SI.
Similar checks are happening at 7 points on this road and near the traffic signals at Santhome and South Canal Bank Road, he said.
At present, the police say, these special checks are happening at main roads and at accident prone areas across the state.
This evening, within a span of two hours the police fined at least 35 pillion riders for not wearing helmets. “Many of them don’t understand the importance of wearing helmet and just get angry over us. They should understand that it’s for their own safety,” he added.
