‘Friends of Traffic’: Free helmets for Karachi’s female pillion riders

The campaign, which hits the roads on June 8, aims to take safety measures for pillion riders

Oonib Azam June 05, 2015

PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI

KARACHI: The Karachi traffic police will be distributing free helmets for women as part of their ‘Friends of Traffic’ campaign, which hits the roads on June 8.

The campaign aims to take safety measures for pillion riders. According to a traffic police official, Muhammad Idrees, the campaign is dedicated to Karachi’s women.

“We will establish camps in all districts of Karachi,” Idrees said, adding that the camps will also try to educate people regarding the importance of helmet while riding motorcycles.

Read: Road safety: Helmet drive to start from June 8

Idrees told The Express Tribune that those who were speaking against the campaign should know that as per the law, wearing a helmet has been compulsory for pillion riders since 1965.

“We are just going to implement the rule,” he said, adding that there will not be any major crackdown against pillion riders without helmets on June 8.

“Our traffic police constables will educate riders regarding the importance of helmets and if they catch them without one, the violators would have to pay a fine of Rs150,” he said.

Read: Three-day ban imposed on pillion-riding in Karachi

The official further explained that the traffic police understand that it is not possible for people to buy helmets immediately; therefore, authorities will be distributing helmets for free among women.

On a question regarding the price hike of helmets, Idrees said that they have already asked helmet dealers not to sell on higher rates.

“It’s obvious that when the demand increases, the price increases. It’s not our responsibility to maintain the market rate.” he said. “However, we will write to the chief minister and the transport department to subsidise prices of helmets for the larger interest of the public.”

Read: Safety first?: Petitioner finds loophole in vehicle fitness requirement

Regarding the fear of terrorism that could increase with this drive, Idrees said that are planning to have meetings with helmet manufacturers to revisit the design of helmets.

COMMENTS (1)

Ameer Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Can some one please tell the women of Pakistan how to sit on a motor bike, there is nothing lady like sitting as one sitting on a bench. Pakistan is probably the only country where 99% of women sit on a motorbike in this manner, and why they sit like this is beyond me. I some how have reached the conclusion, that once a female wearing a sari has not been able to mount a bike like and sat like this and since then the trend had caught on.

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