A GROWING PROBLEM: A school student riding a 150-cc motorcycle to a school in the city. Photo: S.Mahinsha

Thiruvananthapuram: With teenagers depending heavily on personal transport for commuting to educational institutions and tuition classes, under-age driving is emerging as a major traffic hazard in the city.

A couple of fatal accidents involving under-age drivers were reported in the city and suburbs recently. As many as 40 per cent of the motorists caught driving without licence during the drive in the capital are teenagers, a senior traffic official said.

As per Motor Vehicles Rules, an applicant who has completed 16 years is eligible to apply for licence to drive a motorcycle with an engine capacity below 55 cc, subject to his or her parent furnishing a declaration. But, teenagers invariably opt for the powerful 100 cc and 150 cc motorcycles.

Only those who have completed 18 can apply for licence to drive a motor vehicle other than a transport vehicle. Those who have completed 20 years can drive only a transport vehicle. A minor caught driving can be fined Rs.500 and the owner Rs.1,000 for allowing driving by an unauthorised person. Often, the police are lenient towards under-age drivers.

Although all city schools have barred students from coming on motorcycles and scooters, the ban is observed more in the breach. During morning and evening, it is common to find uniformed students zipping on two-wheelers.

The majority of students using motorised two-wheelers are in classes Plus One and two. They park their vehicles outside the school at nearby junctions and then walk to school.

Traffic officials say parents are to blame for getting sleek motorcycles to the under-age drivers. Movies and peer pressure are the other reasons cited for the increasing trend of under-age driving.

"Parents should be aware of the law and limitations of under-age drivers. Teenage drivers are not mentally prepared to cope with the traffic situations and they are turning to be a high -risk factor.

They have to be discouraged by law and parents", says Mahesh Chand, Chief Project Coordinator of the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac).

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