Police and transport officials on Tuesday launched a joint operation here against under-aged bike riders and seized their vehicles.Police and transport officials on Tuesday launched a joint operation here against underage bike riders and seized their vehicles.
The campaign to achieve ‘Accident-free Thoothukudi District’ was launched on April 25 after rampant violations of road safety rules resulted in at least five fatal accidents a day in the district. During the campaign, motorists using mobile phone while behind the wheel, underage children riding two-wheelers, helmet and seat-belt defaulters and rash drivers were fined on the directive of Collector K. Senthil Raj.
“The district administration and the police jointly organised a range of events to appeal to the public and create awareness of the need to strictly follow road safety rules to ensure the safety of every road user. Since the official machinery has played its part effectively, now it is up to the public to respect the rules as they come out of their houses. If not, they will have to pay hefty price – fine of ₹1,000 – for every road safety violation to achieve our target of creating zero accident in the district,” Dr. Senthil Raj had said while launching the campaign.
On Tuesday, the official machinery started cracking the whip against violators. Officials launched the drive against underage bike riders and seized 27 vehicles till 11.30 a.m.
“The seized bikes are being taken to the District Police Office and the police will hand over the bikes to parents of the children after they pay the fine and give an undertaking in writing that their children would not violate road safety rules anymore. They should also submit the promise in writing that they would not allow their children to ride bikes, which would lead to filing of case against the parents,” said Mr. Vinayagam, Regional Transport Officer, Thoothukudi.
The RTO said riding bikes without helmet and driving cars without fastening seatbelt were also being checked and fined.
