Curb driving by minors, schools told

Noida: The Gautam Budh Nagar district transport department has asked schools in Noida to sensitise minor students to the dangers of riding two-wheelers and driving other motor vehicles.
The letter to the school officials and managements comes in the wake of the department having received fresh instructions from UP transport commissioner K Ravinder Naik regarding riding of bikes/scooters by minors.The commissioner has instructed department officials to take stern action against those who flout traffic rules.
The Union cabinet, meanwhile, has approved a proposal to amend the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, which will raise the fines for various traffic rule violations. According to the proposal, people driving a motor vehicle without helmet/seat belt will be fined Rs 1,000 against the earlier Rs 100. Similarly, the fine for driving without licence has been raised from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000, for speeding from Rs 400 to Rs 1,000, drunk driving Rs 2,000 to 10,000, and so on.
Rachna Yaduvanshi, ARTO (administration) Noida, said that most senior school students are frequently seen riding mobikes/scooters. “Minors cannot have a driving licence. This is a serious threat to the vehicle users and also to other road users. We have asked school officials and managements to educate their students on all relevant rules and consequences of riding before the legal age. They should organise a workshop to sensitise them,” she said.
The transport department also mentioned Section 180 of the Motor Vehicles Act which states that when minors are caught driving motor vehicles, the vehicle owner will be held responsible. Sub-section (1) of Section 4 of Motor Vehicles Act says that no person under the age of 18 shall drive a vehicle in any public place.
In Ghaziabad, jumping the red light has emerged as the most common traffic offence, according to statistics for the period from February to July this year. According to the Ghaziabad traffic department, there were 640 offenders who jumped the red light out of a total 805 caught for one offence or the other during the six-month period.
Talking on the phone while driving was the next most common road offence, with 26 offenders booked in that category. The department, in tune with the orders of an SC-appointed panel on road safety, has suspended the licences of all 805 offenders for a period of three months.