RTI reveals no challan issued for driving by minors in 3 years
Sushil Goyal
Sangrur, June 22
Information, received from Punjab Police by a Sangrur-based RTI activist Kamal Anand, has revealed some interesting facts about the working of traffic police when it comes to notice that no challan has been issued by the traffic police regarding driving by minors, wrong overtaking, driving without light (after sunset) during 2021, 2022, 2023 and up to March 31, 2024 (three years and three months).
Kamal Anand, who has also received such information through RTI from the Haryana Police, said that on the other hand the traffic police of Haryana had issued 3,168 challans for under-age driving offence, 34 challans for overtaking violations and 197 challans for front and rear light not switched on during just one year (April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024).
Everyone knows that thousands of children below the age of 18 in the state drive two-wheelers to go to their schools and tuition academies but traffic police always ignore such violations and don’t issue challans to the violators for the offence. Though most of schools don’t allow students to come to school on two-wheelers, in such a situation, students often park their two-wheelers at the places near their schools. Several time, minors can also be seen driving four-wheelers, perhaps with the permission of their parents.
Interestingly, traffic police in Punjab have issued only 5,188 challans for drunken driving during 2021, 2022, 2023 and up to March 2024 whereas Haryana Police have issued 15,083 challans for drunken driving in just one year from April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024.
During three years and three months (2021, 2022, 2023 and up to March 2024) the traffic police of the Punjab have issued 2,78,506 challans for driving without helmet offence, 1,26,557 challans for without safety seat belt offence, 1,14,555 challans for triple riding offence, 1,10,380 challans for driving without licence offence, 42,722 challans for using mobile phone while driving, 21,553 challans for over- speeding offence and 1,303 challans for smoking in vehicles.
