Determined to reverse Tripura’s grim road fatality trend, authorities roll out ‘No Helmet, No Petrol’—a policy denying fuel to bareheaded bikers—bundled with enforcement boosters like mobile squads and awareness blitzes.
Last year’s toll: 420 lives lost, two-thirds on two-wheelers without helmets. CM Saha’s administration responds with vigor, equipping pumps with verification scanners and launching a massive helmet subsidy scheme targeting 50,000 underprivileged riders.
Additional measures span license renewal tied to safety records, compulsory rider insurance, and VR-based training in driving schools. Fines escalate progressively, with community service for minors.
Public discourse heats up. Urban youth embrace it via social media challenges; farmers in remote Dhalai district protest logistics. Officials counter with free transport of helmets to villages and vendor tie-ups.
Benchmarking against successes in Rajasthan (35% fatality dip), Tripura invests Rs 50 crore in the drive. Long-term, it eyes AI dashboards for accident prediction.
Implementation launches amid fanfare, with Saha urging: ‘Safety isn’t optional.’ Tripura’s roads are set for a safer era, powered by policy and public will.