Minor riding a major traffic violation in Hyderabad

Hyderabad; The use of motorbikes by minors aged between 12 to 17 years as their mode of transport to schools and colleges has become rampant in the city event after several measures been taken by the Hyderabad Traffic police to ensure traffic violations. Especially college buses are often seen empty as students are using their motorcycles as a medium of transport to reach their institutions. Schools and college parking lots that used to be full of bicycles are now seen packed with motorbikes.

As per the transport guidelines, school and junior college students cannot ride a bike as they are minor. But it has been observed that the students of 8, 9 and 10th standard are also going to school on two-wheelers. However, a child of a 17-year-old can ride a non-gear scooter with a license in this age category.

In each institution, especially schools, at least 20-25 students are preferring bikes to go to school. According to observers, these school students are rash riding on roads, triple riding and performing stunts. "Firstly, the parents are responsible for encouraging such activities and school and college managements are also held responsible for allowing their students on bike," said Mohiuddin Khan, an observer.

However, in order to improve free flow of traffic which in turn improves the quality of life in the city, the Traffic Police launched the 'Traffic Action Plan', a special drive on traffic rules. But they seem busy in other violations and leaving behind the students riding bikes on city roads, alleged activists.

Road safety activists in Hyderabad also blame parents as well as school management for encouraging students to ride bikes to school. They urged the Hyderabad Traffic Police to make sure that minors do not violate the rules by riding motorbikes.

Telangana Parents Association for Child Rights and Safety (TPACRS), president, Asif Hussain Sohail said that this is the negligence of parents to encourage their children to use bikes as their school transport. "They feel very proud when their 12 or 15-year-old drives. Just go to any school in the morning, you will see lots of children coming on two-wheelers, which is very dangerous."

"Parents should be fined, and detained if their kid is caught driving. However, several times parents were counselled by traffic police and detained for minor riding in the city. But it had not affected them. The police must take a serious note and initiate steps to ensure minor riding in the city," added Asif.

He said school and college managements are also equally responsible for such activity. The management should not allow their students to ride bikes. "The area police must monitor and list out the institutions where students use two-wheeler as their medium of transport and must counsel both parents and institution management. If this continues, the police must take action and bookcases against them," said Asif Hussain.

After some major accidents in the city involving minors, the traffic police had caught and counselled thousands of minors, charge-sheeted the parents and produced them in the Court.

According to Traffic police, minors are being prosecuted and parents are being charge-sheeted since the last one year. "Parents complain that children are not listening to them. Minor driving is increasing because of the pampering of children by parents," said a police officer and added that the traffic police is also creating awareness on traffic rules and regulations in schools and junior colleges across the city."

While the school and college managements seem to be genuinely accepting the changing trend among kids, they hardly find any solution to ensure that there is no minor driving in the city.