No petrol for riders without helmet in Tiruchendur from June

When contacted, Thoothukudi Superintendent of Police Murali Rambha said this new initiative would come into effect from June 1 for two-wheel users under the limits of Tiruchendur police sub division, which comprises six police stations. It would be done on experimental basis initially; and if found effective, similar regulation would be enforced in rest of the parts of the district in the coming days, the officer told DT Next on Sunday. “We will distribute 10,000 pamphlets to people in the coming week,” he added.

Tiruchendur police sub division was prioritized under this awareness campaign, as there were many accidents that were reported under its limit, police said. The petrol bunk operators have come forward to extend their cooperation, officials said.

From June 1, all two-wheel riders, whether male or female, would be denied petrol if found riding without wearing helmets, warned the pamphlets, which sought cooperation from the people. To drive home the message, it also carries images of victims with the text that reads: “Your safety is our prime concern”. The SP said the motive was to educate them to be safe while riding.

This year, fatal accidents recorded in the district has come down, show official statistics. So far this year, 438 accidents have happened that claimed 87 lives. During the corresponding period last year, the numbers were 459 accidents and 140 fatalities. Efforts were on to bring down the accident rate by 20 per cent this year, added the SP.