Hyderabad: Threats of jailing the minor driver and owner of the vehicle seem to be working as the number of minors caught driving vehicles in the city is coming down, as per traffic police statistics.
Traffic cops had intensified their drive against minor drivers after Ramya’s accident in July. Parents being called for three-day consecutive counselling sessions have had a positive impact.
While no one has been imprisoned so far, char-gesheets have been filed in about 50 cases in juvenile courts (in case of minors) and against 40 vehicle owners in metropolitan magistrate courts if booked twice for min-ors driving their vehicles.
In addition to attending three-day counselling sessions, those booked for the first time were fined Rs 1,500 in each case. Those booked twice were produced before court.
Parents too came under tremendous pressure as the school managements were not giving leave to their children for three days (to attend the counselling sessions). A majority of the minors were studying in Class X.
“The children exerted pressure on the parents not to inform the schools about the police cases. Without giving a valid reason, it is difficult to get leave from school. Also, both parents of many of the minor drivers are working, and even they find it difficult to attend three days’ counselling,” a traffic police officer said.
Parents admitted that they used to give the vehicles to their children to run errands, and they were not aware that it was not allowed even in colony roads.
