Kochi: Transport commissi-oner Tomin J. Thachankary is firm on going ahead with the proposal to make helmets mandatory for getting fuel from petrol bunks in the three cities of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, though transport minister A.K. Saseendran has expressed reservations about it. Mr Thachankary reiterated on Saturday that the regulation would be made mandatory from August 1.
“We’ve not framed any new rule or brought out a new policy. Already the MVD Act stipulates that the riders of two-wheelers should wear helmets and it has provision to take punitive action against the offenders. We are just going to strengthen it, but in a new way...," Mr Thachankary said while inaugurating a road safety workshop for students at the Assisi Public School near Kakkanad.
On Friday, transport minister A.K. Saseendran had sought an explanation from Mr Thachankary on the decision to implement the ‘no helmet no petrol’ rule and said the government was ready to withdraw the order if it was creating inconvenience to the public.
When asked about the minister’s reaction, the transport commissioner said he had held talks with the former and convinced him. "I met the minister to discuss the order. He is also convinced about its importance. (But) as he directed, we will ensure that the stipulation will not cause any inconvenience to the public. As part of this, a 15-day awareness campaign will be held before strictly enforcing the direction from August 1,” he said.
The department plans to install cameras at select petrol bunks to ensure adherence to the direction. "At present we’ve a staff strength of 2,200 personnel and they cannot be deployed solely to ensure its implementation. Hence, CCTV will be installed at the oil outlets but we’re not giving the official power to the petrol bunk staff," he said. Last year, over 1,400 two-wheeler riders had died in mishaps in the state, he said.
