Daily Times

The petrol pump owners are in a perplexed situation these days as deputy commissioner has barred them from providing petrol to bikers without helmets. On the contrary, the lawyers and the citizens said they would sue the pump owners on charges of violating their fundamental rights as no law allowed the DC and pump owners as well to deprive thek of the fuel facility.

The traffic police launched a campaign against the bikers claiming that step has been taken only to protect their lives. Talking to Daily Times, pump employees and owners said that people who come to get fuel are threatening them if we are following the DC instructions. They said it is duty of the government officials to ensure safety of the motorists but why the pump owners are being made scapegoat in this issue. A pump owner said some of them lawyers landed at his pump and asked for the fuel. My staff refused them citing the DC has barred them from entertaining the bikers those are not wearing the helmets. He said the lawyers started to quote some evidences of the apex court decisions regarding the fundamental rights.

He said we are finding it difficult to maintain our business these days due to the order issued by the DC. A district administration officer said the DC has the authority to restrict sale of any commodity to bring a positive change in the society. Like the pump owners, the motorcyclists have complaints against the traffic police which is imposing fines on charges of not wearing the helmets. Nasir Siddique, a motorcyclist, told DT that he is finding it hard to make both ends meet but the traffic police issued him a challan of Rs 200. The warden also warned me that my bike would be seized if I found again driving without the helmet. I am unable to buy a new helmet due to price hike as I have decreased grocery of house and even milk of my children, he said adding the government should find other ways to collect money.

A traffic warden who gave his name only Ali said wardens are booking hundreds of bikers daily and issuing them challan not tickets for not wearing the helmets. He claimed the wardens are being given targets which reflect that campaign has been launched only to amass money rather to protect the bikers.Another warden said panic has been created among the bikers rather to create awareness regarding the benefits of the helmet. It is very easy to ensure that biker should helmets as the police should ensure helmets availability at all entry and exit points of the city. He said instead of issuing them challan tickets police could ask them to buy helmets from any shopkeepers of their choice. Talking about the benefits of the helmet, Dr Muhammad Irfan, assistant professor of medicine at the Allied Hospital said bikers receive head and neck injuries in road accidents when they travel without wearing helmets. And most of the times, head injuries lead to death of the bikers, he added.