326 minors-on-wheels get challans in 2 months

“Generally,when children drive heavy vehicles,a moderate fear of being caught remains in their minds. Trying to stay away from the eye of the police,they tend to drive rashly and cause traffic disruptions. But the real culprits are parents who surrender to the demands of their children so easily,” said DSP (Traffic) Vijay Kumar.

CBSE counsellor and Principal of DAV School,Sector 15,Rakesh Sachdeva said,“Parents of a number of outstation children fail to forsee a number of issues which arise with underage driving. Among minors,driving without valid licences is just one of the factors. It is likely to promote drunken driving in children,making them commit multiple violations.”

Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Commissioner M S Chauhan said,“It is true that the mobility among the students,especially the senior ones,is quite crucial these days. The law permits those aged above 16 years to drive vehicles below 50 cc. If the purpose is to save time spent in commuting from school to tuition centres,the mopeds are there to help children. They remain equally independent by driving the mopeds.

“Parents should consider all the consequences before fulfilling the materialistic needs of their children. They need to be sensitised regarding the issue.”

Meanwhile,UT Education Secretary V K Singh asserted that if the public transport system is promoted well,it will serve as a worthwhile alternative for students to save commuting time.

“Our public transport system has improved over the past two years. However,few residents are interested in using bus services. Partly due to lack of awareness of bus routes. Buses will be of great use to students. The administration is planning to start publicising bus routes,” Singh said.