With the government apprising the court of its intention to amend the Delhi Motor Vehicle Rules 1993 for women's safety, a bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw asked the government carry out the amendments in two months and disposed of a plea for making helmets mandatory for women riders.
Appearing for the Delhi government, counsel Zubeda Begum said although the Motor Vehicle Act, a central law, has not made it optional for women to wear helmet while riding pillion, the Delhi government had made it optional in its Motor Vehicle Rules 1993 and now it has decided to have a relook and make necessary amendments.
The court was hearing a plea which had challenged a provision in the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules which exempts women from wearing helmets when riding pillion.
The petitioner Ulhas P R, a social filmmaker, in his plea challenging the exemption to women, said there should be a uniform law for all people, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender and religion.
As per the Motor Vehicle Rules 1993, Sikhs wearing turban and women are exempted from wearing helmets while riding motor-cycles and scooters.
In 1990s, the city government had sought to make wearing helmet by all sections including the Sikh community mandatory but the move was thwarted in the wake of protests against it. PTI PNM AKI HMP
