THE failure of some motorcyclists to wear helmets has prompted the Government to team up with the police in pursuing a new enforcement campaign to quell the lawlessness.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness made that disclosure during the launch of Worker’s Week and Labour Day on Tuesday, which is being highlighted under the theme, ‘Plant a tree for life — Promoting Climate Change Mitigation, Food Security and Road Safety’.

Holness said despite the effort of the police to target the unruly motorcyclists, they have been using skilful ways to escape the law enforcers.

“In discussion with the commissioner of police, there will be a new enforcement campaign which will be designed to intercept riders. The police have been injured in trying to intercept riders because the riders believe that because they are on bikes they can wind their way through traffic and escape,” said Holness during the launch held at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kingston.

“We have put in place a new strategy to treat with them. In all major towns, right across Jamaica we are going to see the roll-out of the new initiative to tackle those riders who are not following the Road Traffic Act as it relates to wearing their helmets,” he added.

Holness said he has noticed an improvement in the use of helmets by bikers, notwithstanding the tragedy of five young men who recently lost their lives.

The five motorcyclists, 20-year-old Tajay Murray, 18-year-old Anthony Fuller, 20-year-old Raheem Campbell, 24-year-old Jamie Marriott, and 17-year-old Romario Moodie who were travelling on three motorcycles died after crashing into an oncoming Toyota Hiace bus on Temple Hall main road in St Andrew on February 27.

“We will never know the potential of those five young men, what they could have contributed to the society, to their family, to their community but we do know the cost of their loss, not just in the medical cost, funeral, loss of income to the family, loss to their loved ones,” he said.

Further, he said while he is aware that the impact of the national medical bill is huge, he reiterated the Government’s effort to procure helmets.

He said that the Ministry of National Security has started the process of getting 3,000 of the 10,000 helmets promised.

“The objective is to give them out freely. All you have to do when the helmets arrive in the island and we decide where we are going to be distributing, is just to prove that you are a rider and we will give you a helmet. No strings attached because we want you to be safe,” he said.

In the meantime, Holness appealed to young men who are fascinated with bikes to use them safely.

“Yes, the motorcycle can be a very exciting, very compelling mode of transportation, but is it the safest mode of transportation? I encourage our young men who may be developing this fascination, this fetish for motorbikes, to think very carefully about it,” he said.

“If this is the mode of transportation you can afford, I understand. But it is silly — it is stupid, if this is the mode you are going to use — that you do not take the precautions to be safe on it. You might think it looks cool for you to be riding without eye protection, without helmets, without protection of your limbs. It doesn’t. All it takes is for a stone to fly from a tyre and hit you in your eye and that is the end of that,” said Holness.