School students use of two-wheelers in Chennai

[sajiv]

CHENNAI: A good number of school students continue riding two-wheelers despite attempts made by the law-enforcing agencies and school authorities to curb the practice.It is not uncommon to spot school uniform-clad students riding two-wheelers to school, tuition classes and back home. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Sunil Kumar says traffic police have booked over 2,500 cases since January this year against minors using motorcycles. "We are not only levying penalty on offenders but also on the registered owner of the vehicle, in most cases the parent."

The police are conducting vehicle checks at regular intervals in and around schools. "We have asked school authorities to discourage students from bringing motorcycles and not to allow parking on the campus. Parents are also being sensitised to the need for preventing minors taking the risk of using two-wheelers," Mr. Sunil Kumar says.

Safety matters: According to Provision 1 in Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act, "No person under the age of 18 years shall drive a motor vehicle in any public place. Provided that a motorcycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50 cc may be driven in a public place by a person after attaining the age of 16 years."

With all major automobile manufacturers having stopped production of vehicles with an engine capacity below 50cc following falling demand, many students ride two-wheelers that are evidently of a higher engine capacity.

The Transport Department circulated a note to RTOs about a year ago that they should not issue a driving licence to a minor unless he or she produced documentary evidence for ownership of a vehicle that has an engine capacity below 50 cc, according to Transport Commissioner C. P. Singh. "We have also appealed to parents since they buy the vehicles for their children".
Role of parents, School authorities agree that the role of parents is vital. Principal of Devi Academy Malathy Srinivasan says two-wheelers are strictly not allowed inside the school campus. "But the moment children complete Std. X, they want to own a bike and a cell phone ," she points out.

President of the Association of principals of Matriculation Schools N. Vijayan says that private school heads have been urging parents to discourage their children from travelling by bikes. "Most schools do not allow students to come by two-wheelers. But sometimes, parents themselves ask students to park their bikes in one of the houses in the neighbourhood and walk to school from there," he says.

Campaigning for a cause: S. Ashokan and Pushpanjali, parents of A.P. Hithendran, whose organs were donated after he was declared brain-dead about a month ago, have been actively campaigning for road safety among students in several forums. Sixteen-year-old-Hithendran was riding a 150-cc two-wheeler, without a valid licence, when he met with the accident at Teachers' Nagar, between Thirukazhkundram and Chengalpattu.

"Arond 6.45 p.m. every day, the time that accident occurred, I go through hell. His memories haunt me," says his father. Despite his parents' disapproval and cautioning, Hithendran would say even girls in his class came by bikes and insist that he also be allowed. "Today, I feel so terribly guilty of having let him go on the bike. If he hadn't, he would have been alive with us now," says the father, overcome by emotions. "Even at the condolence meeting at his school, I urged students not to touch the bike until they were 18 and became confident. I stressed the importance of wearing a helmet. If Hithu had worn a helmet, he would have certainly survived," the father adds.