File pic: Unidentified youngsters performing stunts
near India Gate. (Mid-Day)
Delhi Police have launched a crackdown on underage bikers in the capital who skip school and ride bikes in groups near multiplexes and popular destinations in the city. Their message is clear: Stay at school.
According to police sources, areas like PVR theatres and malls are always full of students who should be in school. Some of these teenagers use these bikes to show off and try dangerous stunts on them.
Cops are not taking any action against these students but if anyone is caught riding dangerously, they are stopped and their family members are called to the spot to apprise them of the situation. And most parents are responding positively to the initiative.
"These students are just having fun and riding their bikes after bunking school. But if they ride rashly, we will stop them immediately. The purpose of stopping them and calling their parents is to teach them a lesson, so that they at least ride their bikes within the speed limits. Many of these students suffer injuries in bike accidents on a regular basis. Parents have also appreciated our efforts," confirmed a police officer. Cops are on vigil, especially in the hot spots of south and southwest Delhi. And some juvenile offenders have already been at the receiving end.
"These rash riding students belong to schools from different parts of the city. We even found some students from north Delhi schools near the malls of south and southwest Delhi. Some of the offenders were juvenile and they didn't have licence. So we have to take action against them," confirmed the officer. However, the officers didn't reveal the names of the students and the schools. But they confirmed that most of the youngsters caught studied in class XI and XII, and some of the violators were also from class X.
Dr Anand Swaroop, Principal Air Force Bal Bharti School said, "We always tell parents not to give their children cars or bikes till they complete school and we have issued a circular requesting parents to comply with the same. Police have taken a commendable step as the issue concerns the children's safety. Also we have a system in place, under which we confiscate the keys from any child entering the school premises driving a car or bike and then the matter is reported to the parents."
"Children under the age of 18 should not drive. Parents should look after that their children are issued driving licences till they are 18. It is the prime of their age where safety is most important and kids should also understand that," Ritu Mehta, Vice-Principal, Dwarka International School said.
When a policeman went to a woman's house in Mehrauli to challan her for allowing her 15-year-old son to drive her car, which has tinted glass and a fancy number plate, both illegal, she asked him to be tough with the teenager as he didn't listen to her. Similar was the complaint by an ex-army officer when confronted by traffic policemen for allowing his son to drive the car without a licence.
These incidents were narrated by Satyendra Garg, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic), as he said police will do what can be done but the trend shows the crumbling of institutions which does not augur well for the society.
"A concerned citizen informed me that a 15-year-old child in posh Mehrauli drives his mother's car, which has tinted glasses and fancy number plate, very rashly. As it was dangerous for both the child and the safety of others, I sent traffic officials to their residence and found that car had the mentioned defects," Garg said.
When confronted, Garg said, the mother conceded that it was true and she indeed had no control on the child. "He does what he wants and does not listen to her at all and she was helpless. In front of him, she told police that they should be tough with him and tell him not to drive.
"We did that and told the child firmly that if he did that we will take severe action against him and his mother. He agreed but it remains to be seen how much the child abides," Garg said. In a similar case, he said, an ex-army officer's son was caught racing on NH8 with others at a speed exceeding 100 km per hour when he had no driving licence. He was fined and the parent admonished but again the plea was same that young people do not listen to elders.