Fined Rs 5K, 214 minor drivers’ kin will have to shell out Rs 20K more

The parents of 214 underage drivers in Jalandhar, who believed they had settled their fines with a Rs 5,000 penalty, are in for a shock. ADGP Traffic, AS Rai, has announced that these parents will have to pay an additional Rs 20,000 once the Regional Transport Office (RTO) updates its software to reflect the full challan amount as per the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019.

Due to the delay in the software update at the RTO, only Rs 5,000 was being collected from offenders, instead of the Rs 25,000 stipulated by the law. Rai explained that the system was unable to accept the higher amount, but once the update is complete, all parents involved will be notified and asked to pay the remaining Rs 20,000. He further warned that stricter measures are now being enforced, including vehicle impoundment.

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, under Section 199A, stipulates serious consequences for underage driving, with penalties including imprisonment of up to three years for parents, cancellation of vehicle registration, and a ban on issuing a driving licence to the underage driver until they turn 25. Despite these strict measures, many parents were unaware of the full extent of the law and believed the lower penalty still applied.

Jalandhar continues to see schoolchildren aged 14-17 driving without licences, helmets, and even committing violations like triple riding. The Punjab Police initially gave parents a grace period of three weeks from August 1 to make alternative arrangements for picking up and dropping off their children.

However, from August 23 to September 25, the police issued 214 challans for underage driving, along with 63 additional challans against school bus, van, and autorickshaw drivers violating traffic rules.

Jalandhar Regional Transport Officer Balbir Raj, who only recently took office, stated he is not yet fully aware of the additional penalties but would look into the matter.