Police will implement the ban on full face covering helmets with effect from April 02, Police Spokesperson SSP Ruwan Gunasekara said short while ago.

The police earlier decided to ban full face helmets with effect from March 21 in order to stop crimes and burglaries done by people covering their faces using full face helmets.

However, the ban was withdrawn following the instructions of Minister John Amaratunga.

On March 09 Amaratunga told ‘Asian Mirror’ that they were receiving many complaints from public against the decision to ban full face helmets and therefore government would not wish to ban full face helmets.

“We have received many complaints from public against the decision to ban full face helmets. Everyone says that the ban is extremely unfair when it comes to the safety of motorcyclists” he had said.

Meanwhile, Bodu Bala Sena declared in early March that police should also ban the burqa, as well as the full face helmets, if they are genuinely concerned about the safety of the citizens. BBS CEO Dilantha Withanage stated that “anyone could hide any kind of weapon if that person wears a burqa and no one could recognize the identity of him or her.”