Bengaluru: The state government has now upped measures for road safety in Karnataka following the large number of accident deaths in the past year. Come January 12 2016, even pillion riders will have to compulsorily wear helmets, it has been informed.
Transport minister B Ramalinga Reddy announced that the government had notified the mandatory helmet wear for pillion riders rule on December 28 with a grace period for people to fall in line for 15 days. The grace period ends on January 11.
According to the notification from the authorities, traffic cops will have to enforce the rule and a first time offender will be fined Rs100. But a third time offender may lose his/her driving license, if the pillion rider does not wear helmet.
The rule is being implemented after the Supreme Court Committee of Road Safety directed the state to implement it at the earliest.
According to media reports, the committee had notified the same to six states including Karnataka first on August 18, 2015 to implement the rule.
However, the state is unofficially going to give two months for citizens to buy helmets before cracking the whip.
Sources said that the traffic cops have been given oral instruction by the department not to penalize offenders till mid of March but enforce the rule in order to create awareness among the people.
