Maharashtra govt may move HC to relax helmet ruling

The law department of the Maharashtra government will move the Mumbai High Court on Friday seeking a staggered enforcement of wearing ISI grade helmets for two-wheeler riders as well as pillion.

According to the state government estimates, while there is a demand for 1.3 crore helmets, there is a capacity of producing only seven lakh helmets per month in the city. There is a stock of 25 lakh helmets currently available.

Speaking to mediapersons, deputy chief minister R R Patil said, "The huge demand-supply gap has to be taken into account otherwise it would cause immense hardship to the common man, unable to purchase helmets due to the acute shortage. We cannot, however, commit contempt of court and hence are moving the Mumbai High Court to seek a staggered implementation of the law on compulsorywearing of helmets in the city."

According to senior secretariat officials, the government has also informally instructed the state traffic department to refrain from traffic offence bookings under the helmet law.

"Many instances were brought to our notice by the traffic department itself where the penalised two-wheeler riders asked the policemen to procure a helmet for them as it has become a rare commodity. In the light of the fact that there is a huge demand-supply gap, we feel it necessary to seek adequate time for motorists to purchase the helmets before we stringently implement the law," the official said.