KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists eagerly grabbed the opportunity to exchange their old motorcycle helmets with newer and safer-grade options offered by the Road Transport Department (RTD) at the Madani Government One Year Anniversary Programme today.
Those who took the opportunity mostly came from the B40 community and they expressed gratitude towards the initiative.
K. Saravanan, 36, was among the earlybirds who braved the morning traffic to attend the event at Bukit Jalil.
He said it was a much-needed assistance as the cost for a good quality helmet is expensive for low-income individuals.
"In today's market, the cost of helmets can start from RM90 and go up to a few hundred ringgit. I think this is a good effort by RTD for us citizens who may not be able to easily afford high-quality gears."
RTD Kuala Lumpur Road Safety Department Director Azharul Izwan Puaadi said the exchange is also a way for the department to raise awareness about the limited lifespan of motorcycle helmets.
"They need to be replaced every 5 years to ensure safety," said Azharul.
He also said the department records the identity of those who had already claimed and replaced their helmets to avoid the same person exchanging twice.
"This is because we only have about 3000 helmets available for the three-day programme. Today, we have already given out around 750, so we want to be fair to people who come," he added.
The Madani Government One Year Anniversary Programme will commence today until Sunday (Dec 10). It is aimed at disseminating and promoting the policies and new initiatives introduced by the Unity Government since taking over the country's administration November 24, last year.
With a target of 200,000 visitors, the programme is also aimed at increasing public awareness and understanding of the government's direction and goals, as well as building trust and confidence between the government and the people through periodic achievement reporting methods.