Sikh women not turbaned will have to wear helmets

Chandigarh: The UT administration has decided to modify the notification regarding wearing of headgear by women riders and pillion riders and exempt only ‘Sikhs wearing turbans’.
The decision was taken in a meeting of the state level road safety council held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of UT adviser Dharam Pal.

“We have decided to fully implement the Centre’s MV Act and amendments, and only exempt ‘Sikhs wearing turbans’.After the approval of UT administrator, the UT will issue a notification,” Pal told TOI. Officials of UT, police and transport department and road safety experts were also present in the meeting.
Under a December 2018 notification of the UT administration, Sikh women were exempted from wearing helmets even if they did not wear a turban, which would now change.
In September 2019, the amended Motor Vehicles (MV) Act came into force. One of the sections (section 129) pertaining to protective headgear (helmet), under which the UT had exempted Sikh women from mandatory wearing of helmets was amended. While the amended provisions retain the exemption to “Sikh wearing turbans”, the states’ power to allow more exceptions had been withdrawn. On July 6, 2018, the UT had amended an earlier notification of exempting all women from wearing a helmet to exempt only turban-wearing Sikh women from the rule.