Two-wheeler riders sore, sellers happy

Two-wheeler riders sore, sellers happy
The Hindu

Helmet rule pushes up sales by 20 fold

# Price of helmets start from Rs. 700
# There are 18 lakh two-wheelers in city

BANGALORE: It is boom time for helmet makers in the State with the State Government making the headgear compulsory for two-wheeler riders in six cities from November 1. According to an estimate, the turnover of the helmet traders in the State is Rs. 150 crore. Over 27 lakh vehicles are registered in six cities, including Bangalore, where wearing of helmet has been made compulsory initially for the riders.

While around 18 lakh two-wheelers are registered in various Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in Bangalore metropolitan region area (covering Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, six city municipal councils and one town municipal council around Bangalore), three lakh are registered in Mysore, 1.5 lakh in Mangalore, 1.75 lakh each in Hubli-Dharwad and Belgaum and 1.25 lakh in Gulbarga. Even if two lakh riders are already using helmets, the rest invariably buy new helmets, prices of which start from Rs. 700. With the Government proposing to make helmets compulsory for pillion riders too, the helmet sellers are set to witness a big boom. Although the Karnataka High Court had directed the Government to strictly enforce Section 129 of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act in October 2003, successive governments were vary of implementing the court order. A Division Bench of the court had issued the direction while dealing with a batch of motor vehicle accident claim cases.

Not all two-wheeler riders are happy about the Government making helmets mandatory. But the dealers in helmets are happy. "It is good that the helmet rule will be enforced. It has already brought about a change in my business," said Shankar Vachani, a helmet dealer. He said he used to sell about five helmets a day. "Now, we sell about 95 to 100 helmets a day," he said.

Gopal Raj, an executive, said: "Although I know that the rule will benefit all, I personally do not like wearing a helmet. I find it uncomfortable, as most of the helmets are not ergonomically designed. Wearing a helmet restricts the view as well."

There are many who are in favour of the rule. "A one time investment of Rs. 1,000 on a helmet will help save our lives and is worth all the inconvenience that might go with wearing helmets. I think it is important to have such a rule in Bangalore, where people are reckless riders. It is always better to be safe than sorry," said Ambika Rao, a software professional.

Harish H.K., an executive, said: "The Government has made a smart move. In our country, we do not follow lane discipline. It is dangerous for two-wheeler riders to ride beside huge vehicles. One can never place inconvenience over safety."