Pune: Supreme Court Road Safety Committee Calls for Mandatory Helmet Use for Bikers
Pune, 19th October 2024: Retired Justice Abhay Sapre, chairman of the Road Safety Committee set up by the Supreme Court, directed that all relevant departments should strictly implement road safety rules and prepare a comprehensive policy to prevent innocent citizens from being killed or injured in road accidents. He demanded that the administration make helmets compulsory for bikers.
He was speaking at the Road Safety Committee meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan. Attendees included Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar, Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Pune Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale, Collector Dr. Suhas Diwase, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh, Deputy Commissioner of the Divisional Commissionerate Varsha Ladda Untwal, Additional Police Commissioner Manoj Patil, Additional Transport Commissioner Bharat Kalaskar, Pune Regional Transport Officer Archana Gaikwad, and Pimpri Chinchwad Regional Transport Officer Sandesh Chavan, among others.
Stating that the increase in the number of accidents and deaths due to careless and irresponsible driving is a serious matter, Justice Sapre said that the Supreme Court has taken serious notice of the need to reduce road accidents, ensure that the injured receive immediate medical treatment, and decrease the number of victims.
“The Supreme Court has established guiding principles over time and has constituted a Road Safety Committee under its supervision. The committee functions permanently and submits information regarding road safety measures and actions taken in this regard directly to the Supreme Court,” he added.
He emphasized, “Considering the increase in the number of accidents, the Regional Transport Office (RTO), Police Department, and all related government agencies should work positively. Officers must discharge their responsibilities diligently and selflessly. Strict implementation of road safety rules should be ensured using modern technology. Efforts must be made to reduce the number of victims in accidents. The instructions given in this meeting should be strictly followed by all concerned agencies.”
“Due to the rise in the number of vehicles, road safety has become a serious problem. Citizens must also follow traffic rules consistently. Vehicles driven on highways should be in good condition, drivers should wear seat belts, should not talk on mobile phones while driving, should not exceed speed limits, and should not drive under the influence of alcohol. Additionally, vehicle licenses and driver safety insurance should be renewed periodically, and drivers should be aware of road safety measures,” Justice Sapre urged, stressing the need for strict adherence to traffic rules.
“As the number of victims among two-wheeler drivers in road accidents is increasing day by day, both the driver and passenger should wear helmets that meet road safety standards. Therefore, the administration should make helmets mandatory for two-wheeler riders.” Justice Sapre also suggested organizing a road safety week to raise awareness about traffic rules.
Transport Commissioner Bhimanwar presented information on various measures taken by the Transport Department for road safety. He reported that the number of accidental deaths has decreased by 30% on the Mumbai-Pune highway and by 33% on the Samruddhi Mahamarg.
Divisional Commissioner Dr. Pulkundwar announced that helmets will be made compulsory for officers and employees working in all government and semi-government offices, municipal corporations, district councils, corporations, schools, and colleges. He stated that action would be taken against those who do not wear helmets, and necessary instructions would be issued to the heads of concerned departments. Dr. Pulkundwar also suggested conducting district and city inspections similar to vehicle inspections on state and national highways.
Retired Justice Sapre expressed satisfaction with the organization of the ‘Accident-Free’ campaign by the Pune RTO and the road safety measures implemented by the Transport Department.
Nanded Regional Transport Officer Vinay Ahire, Nagpur Regional Transport Officer Kiran Bidkar, Baramati Sub Regional Transport Officer Surendra Nikam, and Gondia Sub Regional Transport Officer Rajendra Keskar were also present at the meeting.
