Pune: Action to be taken against 169 officials for ignoring helmet laws
Pune: Action to be taken against 169 officials for ignoring helmet laws.
The traffic department has reported 169 instances of officials from six major government offices in Pune not complying with the helmet requirement over the past two months, according to officials on Wednesday. These violations are part of a total of 4,000 cases documented citywide during this time. The offenders primarily came from key government institutions, including the divisional commissioner’s office, Pune collector’s office, Pune Municipal Corporation, Pune zilla parishad, Pune city RTO, and other state government offices within the city. By the end of November, 121 cases had been recorded, with an additional 48 cases noted in December.
Government offices were informed about the violations of the helmet rule by their employees and were expected to take action following directives from Pune divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar issued on October 19. The enforcement initiative applies to all state and semi-government offices across the five districts in the Pune division. A senior official from the divisional commissioner’s office mentioned that departments will impose penalties on repeat offenders, highlighting the necessity of wearing helmets due to the increase in two-wheeler accidents in Pune.
Officials from RTO Pune confirmed that monitoring measures are being implemented at all government locations. “We are keeping a close watch as per the divisional commissioner’s instructions. Plans are in place to enhance monitoring efforts in the upcoming year,” stated the officials.
The increased enforcement comes after a recent discussion with retired justice Abhay Sapre, who chairs the road safety committee set up by the Supreme Court. He voiced his worries regarding the low adherence to helmet regulations in Pune. This initiative mandates that employees from municipal corporations, government agencies, and colleges must comply with the helmet rule, or they will face penalties, including negative remarks in their service records.
According to section 129 of the Motor Vehicle Act of 1988 and the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) rules, department heads are required to keep records and take action against employees who do not comply. District collectors must also perform quarterly assessments to ensure compliance. However, some individuals are doubtful about the long-term success of this effort. Civic activist Vivek Velankar pointed out that similar initiatives have been attempted in the past but have not been effective in the long run.
One government official, who was flagged for not wearing a helmet, stated that he has begun using one since his name was reported to his department head. He noted that officials are now being more cautious and wearing protective gear as reports are being sent to higher authorities.
