Parents to lose driving licence if underage riders are caught twice in Ranchi
RANCHI: Parents of underage traffic violators may have to lose their driving licence in Ranchi if their children are caught twice by the city police before attaining the legal age for driving, Ranchi superintendent of police (Traffic) Sanjay Ranjan Singh told Hindustan Times on Sunday.
The traffic police department’s initiative comes under its efforts to curb fatalities on road caused by drivers below the age of 18 years.
In less than a week, Singh said, the police have taken undertakings from parents of at least 350 underage traffic violators, in which they have claimed to take responsibility and be answerable for any future violation of traffic rules by their children. “We have taken signed bonds from the parents of traffic violators, saying that they should be held responsible if their child is caught violating rules for the second time. If any such underage traffic violator is caught for the second time, his parent’s driving licence will be cancelled,” Singh said.
The traffic police’s drive to check the menace of underage drivers and bikers on Ranchi streets intensified after three minors died in a road accident near the Birsa Munda Airport on April 10.
The cops have since been active in the vicinity of school campuses in the city to nab school students who travel to school on their own vehicles.
“We are tired of requesting parents. It is expected of them to understand that their child is their responsibility, and they shouldn’t let them drive cars, or ride motorcycles before they are 18,” said Singh.
During the drive, the police also counselled the parents of underage traffic violators and told them about the risks of allowing minors to drive cars and ride motorcycles.
The cops were surprised to learn that many school students were legal owners of expensive two-wheelers in Ranchi.
Parents associations in Jharkhand too have been running campaigns against underage bikers, citing safety concerns. Ajay Rai, president of Jharkhand Parents Association said that they regularly held awareness drives to discourage parents from gifting cars and bikes to below-18 children.
On Sunday morning, the police caught at least 10 underage bikers riding without helmets in Ranchi.