New MV Act: First underage driving challan issued in Chandigarh

After stricter provisions under the amended Motor Vehicle Act came into force on September 1, the Chandigarh traffic police have issued the first challan for underage driving.

The challan was issued to a teenager on Tuesday evening, though police have not revealed any further details.

Under the new provisions, the offence invites a penalty of ?25,000. Not only the offender is tried in the juvenile court, even the parents/guardians face up to three-year imprisonment. The vehicle’s registration is also cancelled.

Earlier, there was no separate provision for underage driving. Those caught used to be fined for the offence committed.

Meanwhile, after setting up speeding nakas on Tuesday, police also set up four nakas to catch drunk drivers on Wednesday. A total of 696 challans, with fine amounting to ?1.5 lakh, were issued during the day for different violations. In the past four days, 1,099 challans have been issued. These will make the department richer by ?4.86 lakh. Also, 54 driving licences have been seized.