Finally, helmets compulsory for women in Chandigarh

Wearing of helmets has been made compulsory for women riding two-wheelers in Chandigarh, except for turbaned Sikh women.

Union Territory Administrator V.P. Singh Badnore on Friday issued a notification under which all women will be required to wear helmets, except for Sikh women wearing turbans.

Sikh men wearing turbans are also exempted from wearing helmets in the union territory (UT).

"In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 129 read with provisions of clause (41) of Section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, the Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh is pleased to amend the Rule 193 of Chandigarh Motor Vehicle Rules, 1990 as follows 'In the said Rule, the words 'or a Woman' are hereby substituted by the word 'A Sikh person (including woman) wearing a turban', with immediate effect," the notification stated.

Though wearing of helmets has been compulsory for men for the past over three decades in Chandigarh, all women were exempted so far as Sikh religious organizations had objected that Sikh women could not wear anything on their head due to religious reasons.

The issue was brought before the Punjab and Haryana High Court which said that women could not get a blanket exemption on issues concerning their own safety.

Chandigarh has the highest per capita density of motor vehicles in the country with over 800,000 registered vehicles for a population of 1.1 million. Majority of the vehicles are two-wheelers.

--IANS

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