A biker chooses a helmet at the Income Tax roundabout in Patna on Monday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

No-helmet, no-petrol rule may be affecting business of petrol pump owners in the state capital but it’s spelling moolah for helmet sellers.

Two-wheeler owners are scurrying to buy the helmets without which they would not be able to buy fuel.

Source said since the district magistrate, Sanjay Kumar Singh, issued the order four days ago to petrol pump owners to not sell fuel to two-wheeler drivers who don’t wear a helmet, the sale of the protective gear has doubled.

In fact, the demand for the cranium protection is so high that roadside helmet stalls have come up at a number of places like Income Tax roundabout, Punaichak, Hartali Mor, Bailey Road and Bhattacharya Road.

“Since the district administration issued the order, the sale of helmets has doubled. Earlier, I used to sell around 10 to 15 helmets everyday. But now, the number has gone up to 20 to 25,” Suresh Prasad, a show owner on Bhattacharya Road, told The Telegraph.

He added: “Earlier, there were only five helmet shops on this road. But, as you can see, three more have opened in the past four days.”

For the first two days, since the order came into effect, the petrol pumps in the state capital have followed the rule strictly. Yesterday, along with a number of citizens, a policeman was also refused fuel at a pump, as he was not wearing a helmet.

Sources said the rule seems to have had the desired effect on bikers and scooterists.

While purchasing a helmet, Ritu Raj, a biker, said: “Instead of dragging the bike to home, it is better to wear a helmet. Yesterday, I went to a petrol pump on Boring Road but the employees there did not give me petrol despite repeated requests. Instead, they asked me to wear a helmet. Luckily, my home was near the petrol pump, so I went back and took my father’s helmet. If this had happened somewhere else, I would have had to drag my bike home.”

He added: “I have decided to wear a helmet while riding my bike. I do not want to land in any trouble.”

Another biker, Kamlesh Prasad, said: “The district administration has achieved what the traffic police could not do. I have never worn a helmet while riding a bike but now I will have to.”

The owners of helmet shops are not complaining.

One of them, Vicky Kumar, who has opened a shop at Income Tax roundabout, said: “After the order was passed, I realised that this would be a good business opportunity. So, I opened the shop on Saturday and in the last three days, I have sold 45 helmets.”

The protective headgears are priced between Rs 250 and Rs 800.

Another helmet seller said: “Earlier, the sale of helmets would go up when the traffic police conducted extensive checks. But now, bikers and scooterists are scared that they would land in trouble if they don’t wear it.”