No fuel for helmetless bikers in capital

Rawalpindi CTP bars entry of helmetless motorbike riders to Murree

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: To force motorbike riders to wear helmets within the jurisdiction of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, fuel pumps have been directed not to top up those two-wheelers whose riders are not wearing helmets while the entry of helmetless riders has been banned in the Murree hill station.

The new directions came on Tuesday as the administration and police in both cities try and get motorbike riders to wear helmets as part of their ongoing drive.

In Islamabad, the deputy commissioner issued two separate notifications on Tuesday. In the first one, the deputy commissioner noted that the reason for the rise in fatalities in motorbike accidents was due to the riders not wearing helmets.



It went on to claim that there were 68 serious accidents involving motorbikes so far in 2018, in which 50 riders were not wearing helmets. It went on to claim that around 75 per cent of fatalities in motorbike accidents in Islamabad were due to not wearing helmets.

Hence, the deputy commissioner directed owners of filling stations not to sell petrol to those motorbike riders who are not wearing a helmet.

In the other notification, the deputy commissioner banned the entry of heavy vehicles on the Islamabad Express Highway during rush hour, from 7am to 9am and then from 5pm to 7pm.

No sightseeing for helmetless riders

As part of their ongoing operation against helmetless bikers, the Rawalpindi City Traffic Police (CTP) has decided to ban helmetless bikers from entering Murree.

The move follows a similar one in which bikers were barred from entering the Mall Road and Peshawar Road in Rawalpindi without helmets earlier this month.

A CTP spokesperson said that those trying to go to Murree on motorbikes without wearing helmets will be arrested.

Moreover, the CTP said that under their ongoing operation against helmetless bikers, they have impounded some 6,984 motorbikes.

CTP spokesperson Wajid Satti said that they had issued tickets to over 64,581 motorbike riders apart from imposing fines worth Rs11 million in November and December for riding their bikes in the city without helmets.

The CTP also registered cases against 132 motorbike riders under section 188 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) in various police stations.



Satti said that Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Muhammad Bin Ashraf had formed special squads for cracking down on rule violators and those driving without helmets.

The CTP spokesperson added the special campaign had been launched to make helmets compulsory for all motorbike riders following directives from the Lahore High Court (LHC).

He further said that the Rawalpindi District Administration Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Dr Umar Jahangir had also decided to impose a ban on helmetless bikers from obtaining petrol at fuel pumps.

The administration had warned fuel pump owners of strict action if they are found giving fuel to motorbike riders without helmets.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM APP

 

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2018.