This Town Just Told All Bikers, If You Don't Wear Helmets You Get No Petrol At Pumps!

If you don't wear helmet while riding your two-wheeler?

Then beware, you would not get fuel from the petrol pumps in Kannapuram police limits in the district, as part of a pilot project launched by the police to ensure motor bike riders wear helmet.

Soon, the project would be extended to the whole district.

In the last one year, at least 28 major motor bike accidents involving two-wheelers were reported in Kannapuram police limits alone, in which two had succumbed to the injuries and hence the decision to implement it as a pilot project here, said Kannapuram sub inspector Binu Mohan P A.

"The initiative has got good response, and the people and the petrol pump managements are highly cooperative," he said.

Though there were some issues in the first two days, people are now aware of this, said Chandran T V, an employee at the Bharat Petroleum outlet in Kannapuram, where the restriction was imposed on March 17.

"Most of the people are cooperative though at times people without helmet send others with bottles to fill petrol. However, we don't encourage it," said Chandran, adding that even if the rider has the helmet but it is hung on the handle bar, the petrol would not be given.

However, since the petrol pumps in the neighbouring areas under other police station limits are giving petrol to people without helmets, there is concern that it might affect the revenue of these pumps.

"Now, the restriction has been implemented here only. However, if it is implemented in other fuel stations in the entire district, it would be more effective," said Anilkumar K, manager of the India Oil petrol pump in Punnacheri.

In order to address this concern, the police have contacted the petrol pumps in the neighbouring localities and sought their cooperation, too, said the SI.

The initiative introduced as a pilot project would be implemented in the district from April, said district police chief P Hari Shankar.

"The feedback we got from the pilot project was very good and the response of the people was really appealing. We are sure it would be successful if implemented in the whole district, or for that matter even in the whole State," he said.