The Telangana Two-wheeler Riders Association has demanded that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao follow the policy of late chief minister Dr M. Channa Reddy, with regard to compulsory helmet rule, who had issued a GO in 1989 making use of helmets as optional.
Speaking to the media here on Sunday, Association convener Mohd Amanullah Khan alleged that KCR, instead of following the policy of Dr Channa Reddy with regard to the helmet rule, has given a free hand to the traffic police to implement the compulsory helmet rule. Further he said that the late chief minister was of the opinion that helmet was of no use except police harassment and had issued a GO making use of helmets as only optional. As a result, there was no helmet rule implementation in the then Andhra Pradesh for over 16 years. But in 2005, the GO issued by Dr M. Channa Reddy was challenged and it was set aside by the High Court.
Khan urged the Chief Minister to adopt the policy of Dr Channa Reddy and see that the use of helmet is made optional by passing a resolution in the Assembly and pressurize the Centre to amend the compulsory helmet law to be as only optional. Otherwise, the Two-wheeler riders would organize Twin Cities bandh during the Assembly Sessions. (NSS)