Helmet for pillion rider rule strongly opposed

Hyderabad: Telangana Two-Wheeler Riders Association (TTWRA) on Thursday appealed to the people in general and the two-wheeler riders in particular to boycott Telangana Formation Day celebrations in protest against the State government's decision to implement helmet rule for pillion riders also and demanded that the TRS government make the helmet rule optional.

TTWRA convener Mohd Amanullah Khan said that a "do or die" agitation titled "Helmet Raj Nahin Chalega-Sharab Raj Nahin Chalega" will be launched from June 2 and it will not be withdrawn till the achievement of the just and reasonable demand.

Amanullah Khan alleged that in order to divert the attention of the people from real issues, the KCR government had decided to implement compulsory helmet rule on the pillion riders also only to loot and harass the two-wheeler riders in the name of e-challans.

He reminded that earlier they had informed the people that TRS government had a secret agenda to implement helmet rule on the pillion riders also soon after the parliament elections were over and that the government would not hesitate to go to any extent like "No Helmet No Petrol plan" implementation for this purpose.

Further, he said that the Chief Minister instead of following the policy of former Chief Minister M Chenna Reddy with regard to the helmet rule had given a free hand to the police to implement the compulsory helmet rule also on the pillion riders.

Khan urged the Chief Minister KCR to adopt the policy of Chenna Reddy and see that the use of helmet was made optional by passing a resolution in the State Assembly and press the centre to amend to compulsory helmet law to be only optional. Otherwise his association would organize twin cities bandh during the first assembly session itself.

He clarified that if it was a good thing to wear helmet by both the two-wheeler riders and pillion riders then why other good things like enforcement of total prohibition in the State to stop accidents due to drunken driving, painting of all the speed breakers conspicuously with zebra marks to avert the accidents particularly during nights, stern measures to make the city pollution-free and thereby save the innocent precious lives and to take appropriate steps to tackle the worsening traffic situation on the city roads etc were being ignored by the government. (NSS)