With schools declaring summer holidays, the Madurai City Traffic Police swiftly got into the act of checking for two-wheeler riders as there were complaints of young boys riding them.
At a review meeting, Commissioner of Police T. Senthil Kumar directed the traffic police to take a close look across the city. Several teams comprising Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors were formed. Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) S. Arumugasamy said that as per the Motor Vehicles Act, only those above 18 years were eligible for driving vehicles. After applying learners’ licence, the candidates had to pass the tests conducted by the Transport Department. They have to drive the vehicle before the MV Inspectors after which they would get licence to drive.
Without obtaining licence, driving any vehicle was an offence and punishable under the MV Act.
In the city, the police detained as many as 66 motorcycles and checks indicated that the riders were below 18 years of age.
Instead of imposing fines and impounding the vehicles, the police officials gave counselling to the students in the presence of their parents.
When the police explained the legal and other consequences, the parents gave an assurance that they would be more responsible and ensure that their children were not given two-wheelers until they attained the qualified age as per the laws to drive the vehicles.
Assistant Commissioners of Police A. Thirumalai Kumar and G. Mariappan said that rash and negligent driving not only posed danger to other motorists, but also led to multiple injuries and sometimes fatal for the riders. They shared a few instances where young riders at the productive age had turned differently abled due to rash driving.
The Commissioner of Police, in a press release, said that the police would keep a close watch and monitor the movement of rash drivers through the 24x7 modern control room where they have the facility to spot the vehicle numbers with other information such as the location, timing and the speed.
