Special Drive to Check Driving Licences of Foreign Students in Vizag
Traffic police crack down on unlicensed driving by international students at Andhra University.
Visakhapatnam: As part of enhanced security measures, the Visakhapatnam city traffic police have launched a special drive to check the driving licences of foreign students pursuing various courses at Andhra University and its affiliated colleges.
According to Prof E. Dhanunjay Rao, registrar of Andhra University and in-charge dean of international students’ affairs, there are around 1,144 foreign students representing over 60 countries, with about 800 from African nations.
Traffic officials said that during random checks and surveys conducted in various foreign students’ hostels across Visakhapatnam, they found that only 10 per cent possessed valid driving licences. It was also observed that many of them often purchase second-hand two-wheelers without proper registration.
In-charge deputy commissioner of the Road Transport Authority (RTA), Jayaprakash, stated that students staying in India for less than a year must use an international driving licence issued by their home country. Those residing for over a year should obtain a learner’s licence followed by a permanent Indian driving licence, by submitting a valid passport, visa, and a copy of the scholarship sanction from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
“Earlier, we used to impose a fine of Rs 5,000, but now we will seize vehicles if students are found driving without a licence,” said additional DCP of traffic police, K. Praveen Kumar. He noted that students would also face difficulty in claiming insurance in case of accidents without a valid license.
“I got my licence in 2013 without much difficulty and appeal to fellow foreign students to obtain one by following the simple procedure,” said Abeedullah Aabede, president of the Afghan Students Association of AP and a research scholar.
Prof Dhanunjay Rao told this correspondent on Tuesday that he would request the traffic police and RTA officials to conduct a special camp on the university campus to facilitate the issuance of licences.