The Gujarat government has now made it optional to wear a helmet while riding a two-wheeler in urban areas of the state.
The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting and was made public by Transport Minister R C Faldu.
To be precise, wearing helmets will be optional in municipal corporations and within municipality limits. A person will still need to wear it when heading outside city limits, state highways and national highways.
Announcing the decision, Faldu said, “We were getting a lot of complaints that people were facing practical difficulties in wearing helmets within the urban limits of municipalities and municipal corporations.”
“The subject came up for consideration before the government. And today, the Cabinet has decided to make use of helmet voluntary within the limits of municipalities and municipal corporations. However, helmets will be compulsory on state highways, national highways and panchayat roads outside the limits of municipalities and municipal corporations,” he added.
Faldu further said that commuters didn’t usually cover long distances within cities.
It may be noted that Gujarat was among the first states of the country to reduce fines on traffic violations that were introduced in the new Motor Vehicles Act in September this year.
Source: dnaindia.com