Traffic cops during a massive helmet drive at variouse roads in city on Thursday. A scene from Vishrantawadi road near Deccan college. Express Photo by Arul Horizon, 04-02-2016, Pune Traffic cops during a massive helmet drive at variouse roads in city on Thursday. A scene from Vishrantawadi road near Deccan college. Express Photo by Arul Horizon, 04-02-2016, Pune

THE TRAFFIC control branch of Pune city police on Thursday launched a massive drive against those riding two-wheelers without wearing helmets.

The Pune Police Commissioner, KK Pathak, said that he will also ask his police force to wear helmets while riding two-wheelers in the city. The drive comes a day after the State Transport Minister, Divakar Raote, announced that the use of helmets would be made compulsory across the state, including Pune.

While the announcement was made in Aurangabad on Wednesday, the traffic control branch of Pune police started a drive on Thursday to enforce helmet compulsion.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) Sarang Awad said that till 6 pm, police fined about 4,717 people who were not wearing helmets while driving two-wheelers on different roads in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Some of the two-wheeler riders were seen arguing with the traffic police on duty. But the cops continued to take action. The traffic police collected a total fine of Rs 4,67,900.

Awad said that traffic control branch has carried out such drives regularly in the past. The drive has only been intensified now. According to Awad, last year, the traffic control branch has fined an average of 800 people per day for not wearing helmets.

“There is a Supreme Court ruling making it mandatory for two-wheeler riders to use helmets. It is for the safety of riders. We appeal to the citizens to use helmets. We have also asked the police to wear helmets while riding two wheelers,” said K K Pathak.

Meanwhile, as per the figures obtained from traffic police, in the year 2015, there have been 240 deaths of two wheeler riders in road accidents. Of them, only one victim was wearing a helmet.

Also, in 2014, of the 219 two wheeler riders who died in road mishaps, only one person was found wearing a helmet. All other victims were riding without helmets. Police say that wearing helmets may have saved their lives.

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