Cops mull community service for kid drivers

Cyberabad cops to imitate Kolkata board verdict

After Kolkata’s Juvenile Justice Board, asked a 15-year-old to spend a day in the emergency ward of a hospital as a punishment for underage driving at high speed for the boy to understand the consequences of traffic rules violation, the Cyberabad traffic police is thinking of implementing the same.

On Wednesday, Kolkata’s Juvenile Justice Board asked the boy to spend a day in the emergency ward of a government hospital and present three case studies from it. the boy was produced before the court for an incident two years back when the boy, 13-year-old then, hurt a commuter riding his dad’s bike.

Moved by the novel punishment city police is thinking of following the same to stop minors violating rules. According to the traffic police such a punishment will help the kids understand the value of human life. The authorities plan to take judicial advice.

City traffic police have been offering counselling to erring kids along with their parents and siezing their vehicles. However, incidents continue to be reported of children violating traffic laws like minor drivings without helmets and license.

Two minors were recently caught near Malakpet driving to their school. DCP Traffic Cyberabad A.R. Srinivas said, “It is a very good move taken by Kolkata’s Juvenile Justice Board. We are thinking of implementing it in our city limits and seeking legal advice and discussing with legal experts’’.

S. Adishankar from Road Kraft, a city-based road safety NGO, said, “Punishments like these are more effective than monetary fines but some may oppose them. If people are caught they should be told to stand at the junction for two or three hours with the traffic police and help them in managing traffic’’.

He added, “If vehicles do not slow down at zebra crossings, they should be made to stand at the spot for one or two hours and help old people and children cross the road to sensitise them to the problem.”