Patna: Underage auto drivers are a threat to lives of commuters

PATNA: Underage boys driving autoriskshaws and e-rickshaws on city streets is a common sight, posing risk to the lives of commuters. Obviously, they don’t have driving licences and often meet with accidents.
Around 20 accident cases are reported at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (NMCH) every month. “Most of the patients in the underage category are autorickshaw drivers. They drive rashly on deserted streets, lose balance and end up in hospitals. Public should avoid riding autorickshaws being driven by underage drivers,” said Dr Arvind Kumar of NMCH.
When contacted, SP (traffic) said, “We catch hold of 4-5 underage drivers everyday. We penalize them by imposing fine. We also make them aware of the dangers of driving without licence and age, but to no avail. The same people get caught at some other checkpost the other day.”
Reacting to this, Patna Zila Autorickshaw Chalak Sangh’s secretary Ranjit Kumar said, “Our organization does not support underage auto drivers. In fact, we don’t even allow them to park their autorickshaws in stands. There is a certain age limit to get a driving licence and if they cannot respect that, there’s no place for them. Our organization constantly keeps a check on juveniles, who drive autorickshaws. We are planning to request the authorities to take action against such autorickshaw drivers.”
Sanjeev Sinha, who is a traffic expert and professor of civil engineering and also dean (planning and development) at NIT- Patna, said: “The number of underage drivers in the city is rising every day. They are not just a threat to the public but to their own lives as well.”
When contacted for his comments on the prevailing problem on city streets, transport secretary Sanjay Agarwal told this newspaper: “The Lok Sabha has passed a clearer version of the existing Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act. The law states that the guardian of the juvenile committing an offence under this Act shall be charged as guilty and shall be punished by the court.”
Children in the city, however, cite different reasons for riding vehicles without valid documents. “My parents are not in a condition to work. I drive e-rickshaw because this is the only source of income for my family,” said an 18-year-old e-rickshaw driver.
“I think police and government should understand that it’s not possible for parents to drop us everywhere. And taking public transport is very hectic and time consuming. I have been riding a two-wheeler since the age of 13 and very responsibly,” said a resident of Bailey Road.
Keeping in mind the safety of students, most schools discourage them from using private vehicles such as scooters and bikes for commuting to and from the schools. “During the parent-teacher meeting, we always tell the parents not to allow their wards to come to school on scooters and bikes as it is not allowed. The students are underage and do not have a licence,” said the principal of a private school near Gandhi Maidan. “Sometimes, some students park their bikes outside the school premises and pretend that they use public transport for coming to school. We immediately report this to the parents and dissuade the students from repeating such activities in future,” he added.