Pune: Over 200 Government Employees Penalized for Not Wearing Helmets, Action to Extend to Citizens

Pune, 2nd December 2024: In an effort to enhance road safety, the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) has taken action against over 200 government employees in Pune and surrounding areas, including Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), for failing to wear helmets while riding two-wheelers.

This initiative follows a review meeting led by Abhay Sapre, Chairman of the Road Safety Committee formed by the Supreme Court, with officials from the Pune RTO, police, district administration, and other relevant departments.

The meeting discussed rising accident statistics, which highlighted that two-wheeler riders account for a significant portion of road fatalities. The issue of non-compliance with helmet regulations, particularly among government employees, was raised. Despite helmets being mandatory, many drivers continue to ignore the law, a situation that was further exacerbated by the police’s leniency.

As a result of the meeting, the Additional Director General of Police (traffic), Maharashtra state, issued orders to enforce helmet usage. District Collector Dr. Diwase also issued instructions to ensure that the helmet rule is implemented in administrative offices. Accordingly, all officers, employees, and citizens arriving at the District Collectorate, Divisional Commissionerate, Municipal Corporation, Zilla Parishad, Nagar Panchayat, Gram Panchayat, and other government offices are now required to wear helmets.

Deputy Regional Transport Officer, Swapnil Bhosale, confirmed that action had already been taken against 205 government employees across various offices for not wearing helmets. He added that this crackdown would soon be extended to citizens arriving at government offices on two-wheelers. “Action will begin on Monday against citizens as well. This measure aims to improve safety for all road users,” Bhosale said.