From the New Delhi / Express Newsline today... only in India!
Can Sikh women wear helmets for safety, DSGMC asks Akal Takht?
The national 1988 Motor Vehicles Act makes it mandatory for all two-wheelers riders to wear helmets, with an exemption for Sikh men wearing turbans. After protests in 1999, the Delhi government (NDRL State of Delhi only) decided to exempt Sikh women as well and then all women, as it was found to be difficult to identify Sikh women.
Recently, the Transport Department has put the matter with the Delhi High Court to make changes and make it mandatory for women to wear helmets as well. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) has asked Akal Takht, the supreme religious and tmporal seat of Sikhism, to decide whether Sikh women should be allowed to wear helmets in the interest of safety. The DSGMC asserts that the Sikh religion prohibits people from wearing any form of a cap and helmets are caps.
(NDRL and they're still not breaching the subject of sikh men).
CWG project near completion
The construction of a giant sun dial by the Delhi Development Authority is expected to be complete by this week. It was to be ready for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Broken rail clips slow Airport Metro
The high-speed Airport Metro Express Line is barely a year into operations. The targeted speed was supposed to be 120 km/h but actually the trains were operated at 105 km/h from the start. During routine tack inspection in December 2011, a few broken rail clips were discovered. Since then, a detailed inspection has been carried out and 5 100 rail clips were found to be cracked. Experts called to investigate have not been able to arrive at clear conclusions. As a consequence, the speed of the trains has been reduced further to 80 km/h.
May will be less hot than usual, says weatherman (good news!)
After a pleasant April due to western disturbances, officials at the India Meteorological Department say temperatures this month are expected to be normal or slightly below normal.
On Wednesday, a maximum of
37.7 (still !) degrees Celsius, one degree below normal, and a minimum of 20.5
degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal, were recorded.
At Safdarjung, private vans masquerade as ambulances
A fleet of private ambulance vans has been operating from the Safdarjung
Hospital premises. Parked round-the-clock outside the hospital emergency wing, the vans of the Ajay Ambulance Service lack life-support
equipment and paramedics. Painted white with the red cross sign,
ambulance written in bold and beacons placed atop, these vans have
yellow number plates with letters in black meant for taxis and
commercial vehicles. The vans charge sums ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 1,500 (4 to 25 euros) per
patient per ride.
The owner of Ajay Ambulance Service contends that his vehicles run accross the country, that there is no system for All-India ambulance registration, and that Delhi rules apply only to Delhi vehicles. About the absence of necessary life-support equipment on board the
vans, he sais: “We ply only to nearby hospitals like the AIIMS Trauma
Centre for very serious patients. In the case of other patients,
relatives accompany us. We only transport
bodies to other states.”
(NDRL I have highlighted these justifications which are just too crazy)
Patients interviewed made it clear they did not know that these vans were not hospital ambulances.
Hospital administration officials said there have been attempts in the past to keep out these vehicles but they always return. There is clearly demand for them. The hospital only has six functional ambulance of his own.
CWG scam: CBI books officials of CPWD, DDA
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday registered a fresh case of alleged irregularities
in laying down of synthetic tracks in five stadia for the 2010
Commonwealth Games. The agency has named senior officials of
Central Public Works Department, Delhi Development Authority, and a private sports
merchandise manufacturer in the case. The CBI, which is probing into
alleged irregularities in the Commonwealth Games, has so far registered 15 such cases.
Sam et Theo.
Rania, Nora et Aashti.
