‘No helmet, no petrol’ drive fails to pick up in Lucknow

Some of the employees asked people to wear helmets if they wanted fuel but did not refuse petrol to them. Those who were not wearing helmets borrowed it from others to get petrol.

The ‘no helmet, no petrol’ drive launched jointly by the police department and district administration in Uttar Pradesh’s capital Lucknow from Monday failed to pick up with petrol pump owners saying they will start making consumers aware from this week.

The ‘no helmet, no petrol’ drive got a mixed response on its first day. (HT Photo)

Though the petrol pump owners had agreed to implement the drive from Monday during a meeting with the district administration officials, stakeholders said they would work towards an awareness campaign throughout the week.

“We will start refusing petrol to people without helmets from next Monday. Banners and posters will be put up at every petrol pump this week to create awareness among the people about the importance of wearing helmets,” president of Lucknow Petrol Pumps Owners’ Association Ranjeet Kumar said.

A status check by Hindustan Times revealed the drive evoked a mixed reaction from the staff at various petrol pumps in the city.

Some of the employees asked people to wear helmets if they wanted fuel but did not refuse petrol to them. Those who were not wearing helmets borrowed it from others to get petrol.

However, at one petrol pump near Badshahnagar area, employees did not even care to ask for helmets. Another petrol pump employee said he did not think the drive was feasible.

“How can I refuse petrol if someone comes to me? There may be some emergency situation and if I refuse petrol I may also have to face action,” a manager at a petrol pump in Gomti Nagar said.

This is not the first time that the police have launched such a drive. However, every time the effectiveness of the campaign was marred by poor implementation and ill-informed staff at petrol pumps.

In 2011, the police tried to launch a similar campaign in Farrukhabad but it failed to change the scenario. In October 2012, the government directed petrol pump owners not to give fuel to two-wheeler riders without helmets but it made little impact.