By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the Delhi government seeking its response to a plea to make helmet wearing compulsory for pillion riders irrespective of their gender and religion.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna issued the notice to the government returnable within four weeks. The court listed the matter for hearing Oct 19.
The court was hearing the petition filed by Ulhas, who claimed to be a social filmmaker.
The petitioner submitted that at the intervention of this very court, the city government had framed rules making headgear mandatory for two-wheeler drivers and pillion riders but Sikh men have been exempted.
During the last hearing when the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the high court, the bench had said the manner in which the petition was drafted, the court cannot treat it as PIL and had suggested that Ulhas should draft his petition properly, challenging the Motor Vehicle Act and the Delhi Motor Vehicle Rules.
“Every year, about 60 to 70 women die due to head injuries sustained in road accidents involving two-wheelers, and the government should make wearing helmets compulsory for all pillion riders as well,” the petition said.
The bench had referred to a clause in the Central Motor Vehicle Act which makes it optional for pillion riders to wear helmets.