ISLAMABAD: Restrictions may be imposed over the selling of motorcycles without helmets, police officials told Dawn on Monday.

Senior Superintendent of Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) Malik Matloob Awan has written to the Islamabad chief commissioner saying instructions should be issued to dealers not to sell motorcycles without two helmets.

The police officers Dawn spoke to said the Islamabad chief commissioner will be issuing instructions to the dealers in accordance with the interior minister’s directions.

They said dealers will be required to adhere with the directions and appropriate action against violators will also be proposed.

In a meeting in August, the interior minister had directed that it should be ensured all motorcycles are sold with two helmets and that all motorcycle drivers and their riders should wear helmets. A 30-day campaign in this regard was also launched.

Talking to the media on Monday, SSP Traffic Awan said helmets will be mandatory to wear for motorcyclists and their riders by Oct 11.

“Wearing a helmet while driving on a motorcycle is required by the law,” he said, adding that only the driver will be fined in case of violation. He said children should wear the helmets available for them in the market for riding bicycles.

The SSP Traffic was also apprised of the issue of increase in helmet prices by Rs200 shortly after the ITP launched a campaign in September,

Asked if the fate of this law will be the same as that in Karachi two years ago, he said the law regarding wearing helmets will be enforced in the capital city for the foreseeable future.

According to ITP officials, an awareness campaign regarding helmets was launched in September which all leading newspapers published and leading news channels aired the campaign as well.

They said a special transmission for road safety was being aired on ITP FM92.4 and that 30,000 bikes were checked and 60,000 leaflets distributed among the general public.

They said 2,500 streamers were put up on the main intersections and the bridges in the city.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2017