Under its campaign against helmetless two-wheeler riders, the city traffic police is penalising people continuously at various check points in city but the citizens are still riding without helmet and driving four-wheeler without fastening seat belts. There are around 1,500 challans issued for the violation since January. If we talk about last year data, there were total 1,594 traffic challan issued to offenders in the State capital from July to October 2023 and these cases helped to collect total fine of Rs 7.97 lakhs. Traffic police officials said that despite large number if challans issued to the offender in almost all parts of city, people are still violating the rule by putting their lives into high risk. The traffic police started campaign following the orders of Police Training and Research Institutes on the directives of MP High Court for past three years but it seems that there is no impact on the riders.

 

It is very common scene on city roads to see a two wheeler rider without helmet and four wheeler drivers without having seat belt. Even many people keep the helmet hang on their vehicle just to escape from the challan. These people wear the helmet at selected points to pass the checking point and then they keep it hanged after crossing the area. Savita Kanas, traffic police said, “We are continuously campaigning to penalise the offender riding two-wheeler without having helmet and four wheelers driving without seat belt.

 

People make many excuses and even many of them keep helmet with them but wear it after watching the police team at squares.” She further said, “Sometimes people make excuses that cannot be ignored but the facial expression tells everything. once a girl was caught without helmet when police team asked her for the penalty, she said that she is having pain in neck due to which she is not wearing the helmet. But her facial expression said the real story.” She said people in Bhopal are still not habitual of following the safety rules and they feel uncomfortable to use helmet or seat belt but safety rules are to be followed.