Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Wednesday dubbed as "meaningless," the observance of Road Safety Week in the Union Territory without notifying the latest Motor Vehicles Act and implementing the helmet rule for the safety of two-wheeler riders.
Alleging that the notification under the new MV Act has been pending with the Transport Minister for long, the former IPS officer in her whatsapp message said it was an "embarrassing situation" for the Union Territory as a whole.
She expressed concern over the delay in notification under the Act for a long time even as the Centre had give a direction.
"The officers enforcing the Act are confused," she said while seeking to know why the Road Safety Week was being observed without proper and comprehensive enforcement of even rules relating to helmet wearing.
Recalling that in the past when a movement picked up to ensure two-wheeler riders wore helmets, it was thwarted by vested interests by stamping on helmets publicly.
"Observance of Road Safety Week in these circumstances is therefore meaningless," she said.
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Bedi also said the notification for compounding fee was also pending with the Transport Minister for several months now despite the Secretary to Transport department approaching the Minister several times to return the file with his decision.
She urged the Minister to take decisions in the interest of road safety although they should have been taken before the commencement of the Road Safety week.
Two years ago, when Bedi had issued a directive to the DGP to implement the helmet rule, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy took exception to it and said some preliminary steps have to be taken before making it mandatory.
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