Chennai: Helmet enforcement for both riders and pillion riders appears to have slackened across the city, with routine checkpoints disappearing from several arterial and interior roads, even as motorists increasingly ride without protective headgear, sometimes carrying three or more people on a two-wheeler.
Traffic police personnel say senior officers have instructed personnel to book at least 50 helmet violation cases a day.
“Instead of stopping motorists and getting into arguments, personnel have been asked to photograph vehicles and register cases electronically,” said a senior traffic official. Barring a few checkpoints at places such as Moolakothalam junction, Nelson Manickam Road and Anna Nagar, dedicated helmet checks have become less frequent.
The decline in visible enforcement is noticeable in Saidapet, Guindy, Anna Salai, Royapettah, Porur and several parts of north Chennai, where traffic police personnel were earlier deployed to check violations.