Vehile will be registered only with helmet

Chennai:People who buy a two-wheeler after June 1 will have to compulsorily produce the receipt of purchase of helmet to get their vehicle registered with their respective Regional Transport Office.Transport Commissioner C.P. Singh told reporters at a press meet on Saturday that the State Government had held discussions with manufacturers on meeting the demand for helmets and requested oil corporations to allow sale of helmets at petrol bunks.Earlier this year, the Government had announced that helmets would become compulsory for two-wheeler riders and their pillions in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi, Tirunelveli and Salem from June 1.He appealed to the riders to follow the government order. "Several neurologists have explained on how helmets could save lives," he said.

The senior official also explained the recent Government Order calling for all petrol-driven vehicles in the city to be converted to LPG-driven vehicles. "The move is being effected because LPG is an environment-friendly fuel that brings down emissions," he explained.The Government had recently announced that it would issue 10,000 new permits for autorickshaws in the city. Five thousand vehicles would receive a government subsidy, subject to the applicants meeting some guidelines. These vehicles too would run only on LPG.Mr. Singh said the Government had announced a subsidy of Rs.2,000 on LPG conversion kits. The drivers would be able to recover the cost of installation and make a saving of 30 to 40 per cent on operational costs as LPG had a better per-mileage record.The response to government's call for new autorickshaw permits was poor. It received only 1,300 applications under the subsidy category. Under the general category, it received 5,200 applications.

From Monday, Regional Transport Officers would take strict action against autorickshaws that did not follow the government revised tariff — Rs.14 for the first two km and Rs.6 for every subsequent km."Nearly 70 per cent of the autorickshaws in the city have either recalibrated their meters or changed them altogether. The drivers and their unions have been given enough time to comply [with the order] and it is time for strict action," he said.