Hubballi: Police in the twin cities have launched the no helmet no petrol drive once again. The aim of the drive is to make the two-wheeler riders to compulsorily wear a helmet while riding.Last February, police had launched the drive for the first time, in association with petrol pumps across the city. Although the drive was launched with much enthusiasm, it fell flat within a few months. Lack of interest among fuel pump owners and practical problems were said to be the major reasons for its failure.This time, police have prepared the ground well and have rectified the problems they committed in the last drive. Police are now planning to issue a magisterial order to petrol bunks so that if a bunk staffer supplies fuel to a two-wheeler rider not wearing a helmet, they can initiate legal action against the petrol bunk’s management. Police say they are consulting legal experts about whether the police commissioner can issue a magisterial order in this regard.Police have also asked fuel station owners to mandatorily install CCTV cameras at the bunks for effective implementation of the drive. A few gas stations have already complied.Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) B S Nemagoud told TOI that the department would make the drive a success. Police personnel and home guards would be deployed for a few hours at fuel stations every day to ensure bunks do not dispense petrol to bikers not wearing headgear, he added.“We have asked petrol bunk managements to display boards about the drive,” he said.A senior police official told TOI that the last time the drive fell flat because police personnel were busy in bandobast duties. “The second major reason was the scarcity of traffic police personnel. Though police officers announced that they would ensure no biker would quarrel with fuel station staff and there was no legal binding on the staff to force a bike rider to wear a helmet. Petrol pump owners had supported the drive but motorists had fought with the staff,” he said.Subash Bhavani, a resident of Unkal and an engineer, said the first drive had failed to achieve its objective. “I believe bike riders must compulsorily wear helmets. I have seen a biker wearing a helmet just to get fuel at a bunk and later removing it. Police must ensure that this time they do not repeat the mistakes they committed last time,” he said.

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