CHANDIGARH: It’s official. Wearing helmet has been made mandatory for women riding two-wheelers in the city. Chandigarh administration on Friday issued notification which comes into force with immediate effect.Following direction from Punjab and Haryana high court, the administration has made amendment in the Chandigarh Motor Vehicle Rules, 1990 paving way for making helmet mandatory for women.The decision has been taken considering the aspect of safety of women. As per the notification, the words “a Sikh person (including woman) wearing a turban” instead of words “or a Woman” have been replaced in Rule 193 of the Chandigarh Motor Vehicle Rules.Before issuing notification, administration had invited objectionssuggestion from the general public by giving 30-day time period. A total of 15 objectionssuggestions were received by the transport department. Barring Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and religious bodies, the residents lauded the initiative.In recent years, there has been a rise in number of women on two-wheelers losing their lives. In 2017, a total of 18 women were killed in separate road accidents, while a total of 68 sustained injuries. As per the official figures, around 43 % people killed in road accidents were two-wheeler riders. In 2016, 20 women were killed in different road accidents while a total of 79 suffered injuries."No religion is above safety of measures. By exempting women from wearing helmets, Punjab and Chandigarh has put their life on danger. The inequality treatment by Punjab as well as Chandigarh is not justifiable keeping in view of the safety of the women. Even though Haryana does not provide any exemption to women from hearing helmets, yet no strict action is taken against those violating the rules," the HC was told earlier. It was further stated that on one side the government was launching several schemes to save the girl child and women empowerment, on the other it had completely failed to save women from accidents by not making the protective headgears compulsory for them.Unhappy with the move, the Chandigarh unit of SAD along with religious bodies have decided to stage a protest.Chandigarh SAD president Hardeep Singh said that they have been forced to protest as the administration failed to exempt Sikh women from wearing helmet. Terming wearing helmet against their religious sentiments, Hardeep Singh said that wearing a cap in any form is barred for Sikhs as per the Sikh rehat maryada.A delegation led by Sukhbir Singh Badal and Shwait Malik of BJP on May 4 had submitted a memorandum to UT administrator VP Singh Badnore and urged to exempt Sikh women from wearing helmet.Despite administration making helmet mandatory for women with immediate effect, Chandigarh administration has decided not to start challaning women who fail to comply with the order. The Chandigarh traffic police has decided to first carry an awareness drive for a period of one week before launching drive against erring drivers.Talking to TOI UT SP (traffic) Shashank Anand said that an awareness drive will be carried for few days before starting challaning drive.Chandigarh administration in 2000 had made unsuccessful attempt of making helmets mandatory for women riding two-wheelers. They had faced protest from various religious bodies forcing the authorities to roll back the decision

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