Full-face helmets: stay order on ban extended

27 April 2015 07:27 am Views - 5275

The Court of Appeal today extended the operation of the police advisory banning the use of face-covered helmets until May 19.

Justice Vijith K. Malalgoda (President) gave this ruling sequent to two writ petitions filed by a Chartered Accountant and a Retired Army Major who sought an order prohibiting the authorities from taking any action on banning the use of such helmets. The two writ petitions have been postponed for May 18.

Petitioner Rtd. Major Nalaka Indrajith also sought an interim order to suspend the operation of the gazette notification No. 644/20 dated 11/1/1991.

The other petitioner Chanaka Dassanayake of Pita Kotte, a Chartered Accountant by profession, had also sought similar relief in his application.

The petitioners said the petitions were filed as Sri Lankan citizens and in the public interest.
The Police Chief, the Minister of Public Order, the Minister of Internal Transport and the Attorney General were named as respondents.  

Mr. Dassanayake said according to statistics available at the Department of Motor Traffic, as at July 2013 more than 2,642,000 motorcycles had been registered with an average of 100,000 new motorcycles registered annually since 2004.

He said more than 16,000 accidents involving motorcycles had taken place in 2012 and in view of the increasing number of such injuries; the Sri Lanka Standards Institute in 1981 drafted a comprehensive Sri Lankan Standard for the importation and use of helmets by motorcyclists. This was revised in 1994 and 2007. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)



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