June 25, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 09, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 24: Fathers of thrill-seeking youth have yet another hitch up their sleeve as from now on it will be them paying for any traffic violation by their underage children who bring vehicles on road.

The seemingly effective move came in the wake of rising complaints about underage drivers and issuance of at least 133 fine tickets to such violators.

Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Zubair Hashmi has directed the Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) to maintain a record of underage drivers as a second time violation by them will lead to registration of cases against their fathers.

The ITP personnel will be noting down the names of the underage drivers and their fathers along with the vehicles’ registration details. The SSP said that the case would be lodged under sections PPC 106 and 109, for helping in crime.

In case of a first time violation, the underage driver along with the vehicle will be brought to the ITP office where the person at the wheel will be served with a fine ticket, while the vehicle will be released on a surety by his/her father.

An affidavit will have to be submitted by the fathers under which they will be bound to restrain their children from committing the crime again. Mr Hashmi said a case would be registered if the violator was again found guilty of underage driving.

Earlier, underage drivers were served with fine tickets worth Rs500 and were detained for some time by the area police and their vehicles impounded, he said, adding that this practice could not stop them from committing the traffic violation, and they reverted to the violation even after paying the penalty.

Sources said a large number of children of senior government officers were involved in this violation.

According to them, during the first five months of the current year, 621 fine tickets with penalties amounting to Rs310,500 were served on underage drivers.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said that police teams were deputed on roads, specially on every Friday and Sunday, to stop life-threatening practices by speed merchants.

He said motor races were often held on Islamabad Highway, Margallah Road and Rawal Dam Road on Fridays and Sundays. “Our teams have been successful in reducing stunts by the motorists and motorcyclists, but still there are few who gather on various roads for racing,” he added.

“We will eliminate this practice through strict vigilance,” he said and sought the cooperation of parents.

Although the dangerous game of wheeling has claimed the lives of many young people, yet fatal and non-fatal accidents have been reduced to 33 per cent ever since the newly established ITP started functioning, he claimed.