450 Riders Penalised In Helmet Drive On Garuda Varadhi

Police and transport department officials booked 450 two-wheeler riders for riding without helmets during a special enforcement drive on Garuda Varadhi in Tirupati on Tuesday.

The joint drive, organised to promote road safety and ensure compliance with helmet rules, resulted in fines totalling ₹4.5 lakh.

District transport officer Korripati Muralimohan said wearing a standard helmet was mandatory for two-wheeler riders under Section 129 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. He urged riders to wear helmets for their own safety rather than merely to avoid enforcement.

He said action would be taken under Section 194D against those riding without helmets, while repeated violations could lead to proceedings for suspension of driving licences as per rules. He also urged riders to ensure that pillion passengers wore helmets.

Joint enforcement drives would continue in Tirupati to strengthen road safety, he said.