Hyderabad: The pillion rider helmet rule is creating problems for the captains of bike taxis.
The Traffic police instructed the Bike taxis like Rapido, Ola, and Uber to ensure that the pillion riding passengers use the helmet.
However, according to the bike captains, the pillion rider passenger is reluctant to use the helmet citing various reasons. The most often cited reason is that he would not wear the helmet used by others which is not good for health.
The other reasons given by the passengers are perspiration during the summer season or the helmet may possibly carry the coronavirus.
Munir Ahmed, a bike captain of Rapido said, “I never paid challan all my life as I always maintain traffic rules. I use a helmet regularly and keep all the documents in order. But I was shocked when I was fined Rs.150 on March 23 due to the refusal of a passenger to use the helmet as he was scared of coronavirus.”
According to Munir Ahmed, he tried to convince the passenger to wear a helmet but the passenger posed a question to him as to who would be responsible if he contracts the coronavirus by wearing an unhygienic helmet.
“Many a time a pillion riding passenger refuses to wear the helmet due to perspiration odour emanating from the helmet and if we ask him to use it, he gets irritated,” says Shiva Nayek, another bike taxi captain.
