Make helmets compulsory for women: HC
14 July 2012 6:44 AM IST
The Delhi high court has sought the response of the Delhi government on a petition to launch contempt proceedings against its chief secretary for not obeying its order for amending relevant transport rules to make wearing helmets mandatory for woman pillion riders on two-wheelers in the city.
Hearing the plea of Ulhas P R to launch contempt of court proceedings, Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued notice to the chief secretary and sought reply by 14 December. The petitioner has alleged that the government failed to amend the rules as per the court’s order, within two months, which expired on 25 June.
Earlier, the city government had told a division bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that the motor vehicle rules would be amended to make it compulsory for women to wear helmets. To this, the court had granted two months’ time to the government for making necessary amendments in the Delhi Motor Vehicle Rules 1993.
The high court, while disposing of a public interest litigation by Ulhas on 25 April, had taken note that of the government’s counter affidavit, which had said that the matter is being re-looked / re-examined by the department for appropriate amendment.
‘We dispose of the writ petition with the direction to the government to undertake the necessary exercise and make suitable amendments, as it deems fit, within a period of two months from today,’ the court had said.
The court had passed the order on the plea, which had challenged the provision in the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, which exempts women from wearing helmets while riding pillion on two-wheelers.
The petitioner had challenged the exemption given to women saying there should be a uniform law for all people, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender and religion.
Government counsel Zubeda Begum had earlier told the court that although the Motor Vehicle Act, a central law, has not made it optional for women to wear helmets while riding pillion, the Delhi government had made it optional in its Motor Vehicle Rules 1993 and now it has decided to have a relook into the issue.
Hearing the plea of Ulhas P R to launch contempt of court proceedings, Justice Rajiv Shakdher issued notice to the chief secretary and sought reply by 14 December. The petitioner has alleged that the government failed to amend the rules as per the court’s order, within two months, which expired on 25 June.
Earlier, the city government had told a division bench of Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that the motor vehicle rules would be amended to make it compulsory for women to wear helmets. To this, the court had granted two months’ time to the government for making necessary amendments in the Delhi Motor Vehicle Rules 1993.
The high court, while disposing of a public interest litigation by Ulhas on 25 April, had taken note that of the government’s counter affidavit, which had said that the matter is being re-looked / re-examined by the department for appropriate amendment.
‘We dispose of the writ petition with the direction to the government to undertake the necessary exercise and make suitable amendments, as it deems fit, within a period of two months from today,’ the court had said.
The court had passed the order on the plea, which had challenged the provision in the Delhi Motor Vehicles Rules, which exempts women from wearing helmets while riding pillion on two-wheelers.
The petitioner had challenged the exemption given to women saying there should be a uniform law for all people, irrespective of their caste, creed, gender and religion.
Government counsel Zubeda Begum had earlier told the court that although the Motor Vehicle Act, a central law, has not made it optional for women to wear helmets while riding pillion, the Delhi government had made it optional in its Motor Vehicle Rules 1993 and now it has decided to have a relook into the issue.
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