Even as hundreds of minors from different schools can be seen riding two-wheelers on the roads of provisional State capital during the closing time of schools in the afternoon, the police personnel deployed on roads appear more focused on ensuring smooth traffic operation on the roads.
Though the Police department conducts operation to stop minors from riding vehicles without having driving license from time to time, but these operations does not seem to have long lasting effects.
Taking the increasing number of minors driving and riding vehicles illegally, the law enforcement agencies are planning to impose heavy penalties on the parents and guardians providing vehicles to their minor children.
According to Director traffic, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Keval Khurana, Motor Vehicles Act is proposed to get amended, after which the amount of penalties on the vehicle owner will be increased. He further said, “The challans are being issued from time to time. The problem is the challan is issued to owner of the vehicle. These minors do not have driving license that we can confiscate, so what we do is to provide them and their parents counselling.
We will continue to do so.”According to information provided by traffic directorate, from January to June 2019, 1361 challans have been issued in the state to the vehicle owners for letting a minor ride or drive the concerned vehicle.
On the other hand, a student of a school situated near Darshanlal Chowk said, “We do not have any other choice. The transport system here is not feasible for our routine. In the duration of half an hour to 45 minutes, we have to go home and rush for tuitions.
We only reach on time because we use our own vehicles, our parents cannot always pick and drop us. If we are riding properly with all the necessary precautions, we should be allowed to ride.
There are adults who even after having helmet chose not to wear them. Either government should find some proper alternate transport medium for us, something which we can afford without burning a hole in our parents pocket or we should be allowed to ride our vehicles.”
An official from the same school said, “We enforced strict policy to not let any student without Driving Licences to park their vehicle within the school reach, but they find an alternate way somehow.
They park their vehicles at some distance from the school. The school administration cannot go everywhere after them, parents need to come forward also.”