Parents of underage drivers to face ~25,000 fine, 3-yr jail

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 31
As the Punjab Police are set to execute the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019 from tomorrow to check the underage driving, an exhaustive plan has been readied by its traffic and road safety wings.
Nakas will be set up outside schools in the city and minor students found riding bikes or driving cars will be stopped and a warning call be made to their parents, informing them about the harsh punishment they can face under Section 199A in the amended Act. Challaning too will start from tomorrow, though on a slow mode to begin with.
The police have already been holding seminars in all schools for senior students, informing them that their parents or owners of the vehicles could be imprisoned for up to three years with a fine of Rs 25,000.
“Those caught will not be able to avail even a learner’s licence till the age of 25 years. The RC of the vehicle could be cancelled for one year”, the traffic police telling the students.
The schools on their part too have been asked by the police to convey it to the parents not to allow children to drive vehicle and that instead the parents should themselves drop and pick their kids or use a transport system. The school authorities have said they have already sent circulars to the parents in this regard.
But despite all seminars and means of awareness being held by the police, gross traffic violations were observed outside all schools even today. As many as four students were seen riding a scooter outside Freedom Fighter Ajit Saini Government Model Co-Educational Senior Secondary Smart School, none wearing helmet. There were many engaged in triple riding. Many students came on their own vehicles. No one was carrying a helmet.
Likewise, outside Apeejay School, it was common to see plus one and plus two students going back home on scooters around noon. Here too, many students were seen not wearing helmets.
Amandeep Kaur, ADCP-Traffic, Jalandhar City Police, said, “Our teams will be on vigil outside all schools from tomorrow at the time of both opening and closing of schools. We will also not allow minors to ride scooters as only two-wheelers with less than 50 CC engine capacity can be allowed. To begin with, we will be focusing more on issuing warnings. A few challans will also be issued on day one as exemplary punishment, so everyone has to be watchful.”