Last Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Narayan Kaji Shrestha held a meeting with the chief of traffic police, officials at the Department of Transport and other stakeholders at Singha Durbar to reintroduce the rule requiring motorcycle pillion riders to compulsorily wear helmets.

At the meeting, the Deputy Inspector General Mira Chaudhari, who is also the chief of Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police, stressed that all stakeholders should express solidarity for the rule to be effective.

However, the ministry could not take any further decisions fearing non-cooperation from the public as people on social media quickly started criticising the proposal to reintroduce the rule, saying the authorities had previously withdrawn the rule after finding it impractical.

“Even though the research has shown that pillion riders are in the danger zone and they need to wear helmets, the ministry has not implemented it due to the public outcry on social media,” said Shiva Nepal, the ministry spokesperson.

“The government had made helmets compulsory for pillion riders, but had to backtrack on it. That is why firstly, we will be focusing on the part of advocacy and awareness on wearing helmets,” added Nepal.

He said the government is working on the new rule to meet the Global Plan for UN Road Safety, ‘Decade of Action for Road Safety plan 2021-2030, released in October, 2021. It targets to prevent at least 50 percent of road traffic deaths and injuries, by 2030.

The World Health Organisation in a report last year said approximately 1.3 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes, and more than half of all deaths are motorcyclists, cycles and pedestrians. It further stated that 93 percent of road fatalities occur in low-and middle-income countries.

It also said that correct helmet use can lead to a 42 percent reduction in the risk of fatal injuries and a 69 percent reduction in the risk of head injuries.

“Government can’t impose it forcefully, when the people are not willing to follow it," said Nepal.

In May, 2019 too the traffic police and Department of Transport had been preparing to implement the rule. The transport department had even sent a draft amendment bill to this effect to the Transport Ministry. However, it could not get implemented.

“I was the chief of traffic police in Kathmandu Valley at that time. Our research had shown that over 40 percent of those dying in accidents involving two wheelers were pillion riders,” said former Additional Inspector General Basant Kumar Panta.

“But, some people made a baseless accusation that I pushed for this proposal in collusion with helmet traders,” said Panta.

He said people on two wheelers, the rider as well as the pillion rider should not avoid wearing helmets as that is directly concerned with the riders’ safety.

In his conversation with the Post, Panta suggested implementing the compulsory helmet rule for pillion riders, at least on the highways and the Ring Road, where vehicles are running at greater speeds. He added that even two decades ago, the government had made a decision to make helmets mandatory for pillion riders, but that rule didn’t last for long.

Meanwhile, DIG Chaudhary said the traffic department is determined toward implementing the rule.

“Because our data shows that the chances of pillion riders without helmets dying in accidents is 35 percent,” said Chaudhari.

“Sooner or later, we will enforce compulsory helmets for pillion riders,” she added.

According to data given by Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police Office, in the current fiscal year until January 30, a total of 50 people who were riding two wheelers, died. Of them, eight were pillion riders. The traffic data shows 3,927 road-related accidents involving two wheelers, during this period.

The last fiscal year's traffic data shows that 31 pillion riders died in 82 accidents involving motorcycles. Data also showed that a total of 8,363 road accidents were reported during the last fiscal year.

Although section 130 of the Motor Vehicles and Transport Management Act, 2049 (1993) requires pillion riders to wear helmets the rule has not been implemented.

Urban planners say the new rule is very important since ride-sharing is getting popular in the Valley and many people are opting for two wheelers to commute.

“The main problem in Nepal is that we don’t want a rule of law. Helmets are a must for pillion riders at a time when ride-sharing is getting popular here, even though it’s not a hassle-free experience carrying it,” said urban planner Kishor Thapa, who is also a former government secretary.

He said he still remembers the government enforcing compulsory helmet rule for pillion riders in 2003. “As there was an insurgency, a few criminal acts were carried out by people in helmets on motorbikes. The new law was taken as a challenge to controlling such activities and so, it didn’t last for long,” said Thapa.

Looking further back, in the Panchayat era in the early 1980s, Thapa said: “In those days when I had just started riding a motorbike, helmet was not compulsory. But when the government made it compulsory, some people protested. Now nobody opposes it as people are habituated.”

Even orthopedic surgeons say that wearing a helmet can play a significant role in saving the lives of pillion riders in the event of an accident. But they suggest that people should wear the certified Industrial Safety Helmets (ISO), for protection.

“In most of the accidents, pillion riders die because they were not wearing a helmet,” said Dr Dipendra Pandey, a former orthopedic surgeon at the National Trauma Centre, Kathmandu.

“I can’t say how practical it is, but helmet saves lives. I have seen many pillion riders die of head injuries at the Trauma Centre,” said Pandey.

Rideshare operators too say it will be a welcome move if the government made helmets compulsory for pillion riders also.

“We will be much happier if the government makes helmets mandatory for pillion riders,” said Shashank Shumsher Thapa, director at Pathao, a popular ride-hailing service provider.