Hefty fines according to a new Motor Vehicle Amendment Act has dug a hole in pockets of several riders across India.
A few days back, one could easily come across cases of traffic police giving challans of thousands and sometimes even in lakhs of rupees. Despite drawing flak from citizens the centre said stringent fines were needed to prevent road accidents.
One of the most common violation is riding without a helmet. Though the fines were doubled for not wearing a helmet, bikers still preferred to go without a helmet. But Bengaluru traffic police has found a way for riders reluctance in wearing a helmet.
Instead of giving them Rs 1000 challan for not wearing helmets, the traffic cops are asking them to use the money to buy a helmet.
The traffic cops conducted an awareness campaign at Madiwala Junction, where they instead of collecting fines from riders they made them buy the headgear with the same money. The cops also gave them rose after the riders bought the helmet.
The Times Of India reported that Sub-inspector Shivaraj Kumar Angadi and constable Raghavendra caught more than 25 bike riders within an hour. They took the two-wheelers in the custody and asked the riders to buy a helmet in order to collect their bikes. Left with no option, the riders agreed to buy a helmet.
Inspector Gavi Siddappa said that penalising helmetless riders does not bear any result. “We thought conducting the drive to make them realise cops were just helping them ride safely,” the cop added.
Also Read: Worried About The Ongoing Trend Of Shocking Traffic Fines? Know Your Rights
