Enforcement Lax on Day One of "No Helmet No Entry" Rule at Nagpur Transport Offices
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The implementation of the "no helmet no entry" rule at all three regional transport offices in Nagpur had little impact on its first day. Despite prominent cautionary boards installed at the entry gates, visitors were observed entering the offices without wearing helmets throughout the day, as the officials responsible for enforcing the rule seemed to turn a blind eye.
The newly appointed Transport Officer Rajabhau Gite had made it mandatory for both two-wheeler riders and pillion riders to wear helmets as a prerequisite for entering the offices. However, during a one-hour observation outside the city transport office, it was witnessed not only visitors but also many employees entering or exiting on two-wheelers without helmets.
The department displayed a board stating that over 7,700 people die each year in the state due to not wearing helmets, emphasizing that their lives could have been saved if they had followed the rule.
It was assured that one official from the department would be stationed at the entrance of all three offices - City (Amravati road), East (Chikhli, Kalamna), and Rural (near rural police headquarters). He also mentioned that apart from restricting entry to helmetless two-wheeler riders and pillion riders, the department would impose fines on violators of the Motor Vehicles Act.
While traffic experts welcomed the initiative by the Regional Transport Office (RTO), they expressed skepticism about its implementation. Traffic expert Vinay Kunte commented that although it was a good idea, it required sincere implementation. He criticized the lack of commitment to enforcing such rules, citing examples where officials publicly flaunt traffic regulations without consequences.
Overall, the first day of the "no helmet no entry" rule at Nagpur's transport offices witnessed lax enforcement, raising concerns about the effective implementation of the regulation.
