No helmet? No petrol in Kerala from August 1

Kerala has proposed a rule under which helmet-less riders are denied petrol at fuel stations in three cities in the state. The move aims at better implementation of the rule which makes helmets compulsory for two-wheeler riders in the state.

Transport Commissioner Tomin J Thachankary said on Wednesday that the rule will be in force from August 1 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode corporation limits.

The commissioner said the move is backed with necessary legal cover and the decision came in the wake of discussions with representatives of prominent oil companies.

 “The Motor Vehicles Department and the police will be entrusted with implementation of the rule,” he told reporters here.

Information regarding the rule will be displayed at fuel stations in the three cities.

Enforcement squads will be stationed at the pumps to monitor implementation of the directive.

The Motor Vehicles Department is looking at the possibilities of what it calls a “pilot project” and based on the success of the project, is hoping to extend it to other parts of the state.

Minister for Transport A K Saseendran said it was a pilot initiative and the government was open to have a re-look on the rule if it leads to inconvenience to the public.

Kerala has tried the no-helmet-no-petrol rule in one-off experiments in districts, with limited success.

Incentives

The Motor Vehicles Department has also offered incentives like free helmets at the time of purchasing the vehicles but the drive to implement the mandatory-helmet rule has failed to achieve the desired results.

As per provisions in the proposed Road Safety Bill, helmet-less riding could attract a fine of Rs 2,500.

The latest move comes amid reports that trace an alarming rise in the number of deaths in two-wheeler accidents.

According to Motor Vehicles Department statistics, half of the people killed in the state’s road accidents are two-wheeler riders.

Head injuries cause about 80% of these deaths; the department puts the number of deaths of two-wheeler riders with helmets as “marginal”. Last year, Kerala recorded 1,330 deaths from 14,482 two-wheeler accidents.