Despite strict laws, underage driving rampant across city

Underage driving in the city is rampant, with schoolchildren leading the charts. During a survey, The Tribune lensman here captured several underage drivers outside schools. While the traffic police have already issued a strict warning and several challans in the city, some underage drivers have been paying scant regard to these directions.

Advertisement

Underage drivers were captured riding two-wheelers outside schools in Model Town, Sarabha Nagar, Kitchlu Nagar, Haibowal, Hambran Road, Civil Lines, Daresi, Sunet etc. Notably, the violations were not limited to driving two-wheelers, but the maximum riders were also seen not wearing helmets, hence putting their lives at risk.

During this survey it was also observed that most schools were not allowing children (underage drivers) to bring their vehicles inside schools, but schoolchildren parked their vehicles outside schools. “Schools do not allow us to park our vehicles inside the school parking lot because we are underage drivers, so we park our vehicles alongside the outer wall of the school,” a student told this correspondent, with a smile on being asked why he drove to school, despite not having a driving licence.

It is pertinent to mention here that traffic police had last year issued a strict warning to parents against allowing their children to bring vehicles to the schools, as a heavy penalty may be levied if they were caught. As per the latest rules, parents of minors involved in underage driving in the state will face up to 3 years in prison and a Rs 25,000 fine. As per the newly inserted Section 199-A in the amended Motor Vehicles Act, a guardian of the minor or owner of the vehicle, if they give their vehicle to a juvenile for going to school, would be considered guilty of breaking the law and punished accordingly. Interestingly, however, there is a provision in the Act that if the parents, guardians, or owners can prove that the offence was committed without their knowledge or that they exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such an offence, they may not be held responsible.