Visakhapatnam's Road Transport Authority and traffic police officially imposed the helmet rule and conducted a city-wide check on Thursday.
The officials registered a staggering 1,472 cases and collected a total fine of Rs 1,48,700, a report in The New Indian Express adds.
Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) K Mahendrapatrudu told the newspaper that, “As initial warning we are just collecting Rs 100 as fine from the violators but if one is repeatedly caught their license will be cancelled.”
The much hyped 'compulsory helmet' rule was withdrawn within six hours of its implementation on November 1 due to an outrage among motorists, following which transport minister Sidda Raghava Rao stepped in and directed the officials to put the rule on hold.
The transport minister had cited shortage of helmets as reason behind the repeal, and said "We will try to create awareness among the bikers before enforcing the rule. We can't make everything mandatory even it is in the interest of the people."
The state government has been trying to implement the helmet rule for around three months now and had earlier postponed the date to November 1 after two-wheeler owners alleged that helmet outlets were exploiting the customers due to a shortage of helmets.
However, the rule is now firmly in place.
“We intend to develop a databank of our own and integrate it with the RTA site. Everything will be fed into the server and officers with I-pads can access the site and ascertain the details of the violator, as we intend to feed the Aadhaar number or some other identification number in the fine challan,” ACP (Traffic) K. Prabhakar told The Hindu.