Driving triple without licence and helmet becoming common in Ernakulam

MVD steps up enforcement, intelligence gathering at colleges/schools to clamp down on reckless two-wheeler riders after the death of three students in two accidents. ₹36,000 fine imposed for illegal alterations

Faced with flak for the alleged failure to clamp down on reckless two-wheeler riders, in the wake of three students dying in two accidents involving motorbikes in the past 10 days in Ernakulam, the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) has stepped up enforcement and intelligence gathering at colleges and schools.

While a 20-year-old girl student who was crossing the road in front of Nirmala College, Muvattupuzha, was fatally knocked down by a speeding bike driven by a 22-year-old man who had criminal cases pending against him, two 18-year-old persons who were riding triple on a bike, that too without wearing helmets, met with a gory end at Thuravur near Angamaly, earlier this week after losing control of the bike that rammed the rear of a bus. Bikers racing along highways and other roads with altered silencers too has become commonplace.

Upendra Narayanan, an expert member of the Kerala Road Safety Authority, who resided at Angamaly, spoke of how youth tended to overspeed through the narrow Malayattoor-Angamaly road, including on sports bikes like the one the victims and the injured youth were riding. The MVD, police, and local bodies must take deterrent measures to prevent such accidents, he said.

Earlier this week, MVD personnel sprung into action at two colleges in Ernakulam Rural police district, following information that students without licence were rampantly driving two-wheelers, and even riding triple in them. “People informed us that they oftentimes drove recklessly, endangering the life of other road users, including schoolchildren. A whopping 25 such rule violations were detected during a two-hour-long inspection on roads that led to one of these colleges,” said Shefeeq B., Joint RTO, Aluva, who led the inspection.

Cases were registered against two such students who did not have licence, while ₹36,000 was imposed as fine for the other rule violations such as illegal alterations, apart from initiating other penal proceedings. They included registration of cases against parents of youngsters who drove without licence.

Enforcement RTO (Ernakulam) Swapna S.P. said a 15-year-old school student was found riding triple on a two-wheeler that was registered in his mother’s name, two months ago. “The worst part is that the vehicle’s registration certificate had been suspended for a year for the same offence as per a court order,” she said.

Sources said enforcement could be stepped up if more vehicles and equipment were allotted to the RTO, sub-RTO and enforcement personnel.