Not yet 18 years old? Think twice before riding a vehicle. The Bengaluru City Traffic Police (BTP) have launched a special drive to prevent pre-university (PU) students from commuting to colleges on two-wheelers. The police said the drive was initiated after they observed how many students below 18 years of age and with no driving licence commute to college on two-wheelers registered in their parent’s name.
“We are requesting colleges to ensure students below the age of 18 and with no driving licence do not ride two-wheelers to colleges. We are also appealing to parents not to let such children use bikes. If the children commit traffic offences, cases will be booked on the owner of the vehicle and it will be an unnecessary problem, apart from endangering road safety and safety of their own children,” said B.R. Ravikanthe Gowda, Joint Commisioner of Police (Traffic), Bengaluru.
He added that BTP officials would visit PU colleges from Monday and counsel students through their teachers and college principals about not using two-wheelers.
While college administrations have welcomed the move, students who require to travel long distances are not happy. The colleges say that while most middle-class parents prefer to drop and pick up their children from college, others prefer to send them through public transport. Vehicles are mostly brought by degree college students, they maintained.
“It is a good move. We too have observed that many accidents involve teenage riders. A large number of PU students across our colleges do not bring their bikes, but the ones who do will also stop now due to this. It will also prevent unnecessary choking of traffic,” said Wooday P. Krishna, general secretary of Seshadripuram Educational Trust.
Natesh H.E., Principal, MES PU College, Malleswaram, said students at the college do not bring their vehicles as there is no space for parking on the premises.
The main reason why PU students want to bring their two-wheelers to college is because of the lack of public transport facilities. “I do not have any metro station near my house or my college. I cannot rely on buses as they do not come at the same time every day. If I have classes early or an extra class, I cannot keep waiting for the bus. I take all precautions, wear my helmet and ride within the prescribed speed limit only. What is the harm?” questioned Nayana (name changed), student of a college in Koramangala.
“I am writing my NEET exam this year and for that I have to go for coaching. This centre is quite far from my college and I cannot reach there on time if I rely on buses. My parents work and they do not have time to drop me or pick me up. I only ride an electric bike and I cannot even go very fast on it. I ride safely,” said Karthik, another student.
