Underage driving: Six students challaned for violation of norms

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, August 22

The traffic police today tightened the noose around underage drivers and issued challans to around six schoolchildren for committing the offence. Now, parents of these children would have to appear before the court and face the law.

Though many teenagers have a learning licence, they drive vehicles which are not permitted as per the Motor Vehicles Act. Parents complained that agents, who helped them get learning licence for their children, mislead them by telling that their wards could drive vehicles with gears.

“Despite the fact that the traffic police extended the deadline for enforcing the underage driving rules by 20 days, students continue to flout the norms. Teams of the city police traffic wing have met parents, teachers and interacted with students, but the latter are not ready to mend their ways,” said Harpal Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP), Traffic.

He said, “We have adopted a lenient approach for students who have a learning licence. Many students do not know about the type of vehicle they are allowed to drive. Those caught driving bikes like Bullet and Pulsar will not be spared. Challans will be issued to them.”

Today, the police laid a naka at Rani Ka Bagh Chowk near Harkrishan Senior Secondary School on the main GT Road, he said. The policemen stopped students driving scooters and bikes, he added. Challans were issued to six students who were driving two-wheelers not permitted under the Motor Vehicles Act, he said.

The ADCP clarified that children between 16 and 18 years of age could only drive low speed e-vehicles. High speed e-vehicles were those for which registration certificate was issued with a green number plate, he said. Children less than 18 years of age were not allowed to drive even normal scooters and two-wheelers which had above 110CC engines, he said.

“We urge residents to follow the traffic norms in letter and spirit. The traffic police will not spare offenders in the future,” the ADCP said.

As per the Act, parents of the children driving two or four-wheelers would have to pay a fine of Rs 25,000, besides they could be awarded three years jail sentence for flouting rules.

Also, a guardian of a minor or owner of the vehicle would be held guilty of breaking the underage driving rules and be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly as per the Motor Vehicles Act.

Under the law, a minor who violates underage driving rules, would be debarred from obtaining a driving licence until he/she attains the age of 25 years. The registration of non-permitted motor vehicle used by a minor would also be cancelled for 12 months.