Karimnagar: Ever since the police began a campaign over use of helmets, many youth are venturing into trading of helmets. Now, one can find a roadside vendor for every 100 metres on a stretch of the city. Price of each helmet is somewhere between Rs 400-Rs 3,000 based on quality and other features. In order to bring down deaths in road accidents, police are creating awareness over usage of helmets among owners of bikes from the past two months.
According to information provided by authorities of road transportation department, district has around 4,38,000 two-wheelers. Karimnagar city is accounted for about 75,000 bikes. Traffic cops say that barely 10 per cent of riders use helmets while travelling on bikes. This means, about 90 per cent of owners of bikes are not wearing headgear while riding.
Recently, police department started a massive campaign over usage of helmets for reducing causalities in road mishaps. According to studies, most of riders lose lives in road accidents due to non-wearing of protective headgear. High Court has already instructed the state government to take steps to ensure usage of helmets among riders. Against this back drop, owners of two-wheelers are making beeline for buying helmets.
Considering heavy dem-and, many unemployed youths and small time businessmen have started selling of headgears in the city and elsewhere in district by erecting make-shift stalls on either sides of a road.
D. Manohar, one of the traders, said that they were purchasing helmets in Hyderabad and Nagpur cities and selling here. “Trading helmets is a lucrative business. On an average, I am selling 20 helmets per day. Aware-ness programmes by police are motivating owners of bikes to follow safety norms,” he explained.
