Driving Licence to be revoked for not wearing helmets in Visakhapatnam

Time and again, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) officials of Visakhapatnam have been enforcing traffic rules to ensure helmet usage in the city. In the latest, the officials, apart from imposing a monetary penalty, have begun revoking the driving licence of the riders who are caught guilty of not wearing a helmet. The move has been brought into effect following a Supreme Court (SC) directive, which is aimed at keeping a check on the deaths in road accidents. 

Though helmets were made compulsory around seven years ago, several motor vehicle riders are seldom caught by the traffic cops for flouting the rules. Also, given the rising rate of accidents in Visakhapatnam, the traffic and the RTA officials have joined hands to organize several awareness sessions highlighting the importance of wearing a helmet.

In a drive held at NAD junction in Visakhapatnam, the officials cracked the whip on the offenders and registered as many as 159 cases on Tuesday. The Deputy Transport Commissioner of Visakhapatnam GC Raja Ratnam informed that the riders who violate helmet rule for the first time will have their driving licence revoked for a month. If the behaviour persists, the punishment will be extended up to three months along with Rs 1000 penalty, he further added.