Jalandhar: Parents of minor drivers will be fined Rs 25,000 and jailed for 3 years

Jalandhar: Punjab Police is going to enforce the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 from tomorrow to curb driving by minors, for which the traffic and road safety wing has prepared a detailed plan. Checkposts will be set up outside schools in the city and if minor students are found riding bikes or driving cars, they will be stopped and their parents will be warned and they will be informed about the stringent penalties under section 199A of the amended Act. Challans will also start from tomorrow, though the process will be slow initially.

The police is already organising seminars for senior students in all schools, in which they are being told that their parents or vehicle owners can face imprisonment up to three years with a fine of Rs 25,000. “Those caught will not be able to get even a learning licence till the age of 25. The RC of the vehicle can be cancelled for one year,” the traffic police told the students. The police have also asked schools to send a message to parents not to allow children to drive vehicles and instead parents should drop and pick up their children from school themselves or use transport facilities. School authorities have said that they have already sent a circular to parents in this regard.

But despite all the seminars and means being organised by the police for awareness, gross violations of traffic rules were still seen outside all schools today. Four students were seen riding on a scooter outside the Freedom Fighter Ajit Saini Government Model Co-education Senior Secondary Smart School, none of whom were wearing helmets. Many students were involved in triple riding. Many students came on their own vehicles. None had helmets. Similarly, it was common to see Plus One and Plus Two students returning home on scooters during the afternoon outside APJ School. Here too, many students were seen not wearing helmets. Amandeep Kaur, ADCP-Traffic, Jalandhar City Police, said, “Our teams will keep vigil outside all schools from tomorrow during school opening and closing hours. We will also not allow minors to drive scooters as only two-wheelers with engine capacity less than 50 cc can be allowed. Initially, we will focus more on issuing warnings. A few challans will also be issued on the first day, which will be as exemplary punishment, so everyone has to be alert.”