Wear helmet or lose your driving licence

BENGALURU: The Transport Department has recently sent an internal notification to its officers reminding them on violations regarding the helmet rule in the state. The notice clarifies that those without helmets  will have to pay a fine of `500 as well as have their driving licence suspended for three months.
“The new Motor vehicle Act was effective from September 1 last year. But there is a lack of enforcement on the ground and awareness. The notification was sent to inform all the officers that both punishments apply to the violation and for both the rider as well as the pillion rider,” said N Shivakumar, Transport Commissioner.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Traffic (North) Sajeeth V J said, “The traffic police do not have the power to suspend licence, they have to write to the RTO offices for DL suspension.”According to a traffic inspector, more than 1,000-2,000 licences are sent for suspension. Over 20.7 lakh violators have been booked by the Bengaluru Traffic Police until September 31 along with 12.5 lakh pillion riders without helmet.

The New Indian Express had earlier reported that in just seven days, from September 13 to 19, the police booked 48,141 cases, collecting Rs 2,14,38,000. More than 50 per cent of these cases were booked for helmetless riding.