Ahead of the reopening of schools on Thursday (June 4) in Puducherry, the traffic police have appealed to parents and heads of educational institutions to play a proactive role in controlling the menace of underage driving in the Union Territory.In a release, Senior Superintendent of Police, Traffic, D. Divya said minors operating motor vehicles pose serious threat to the driver and other road users. Underage driving is a grave violation of law that could attract stringent legal punishment, she said. “With schools and educational institutions scheduled to reopen shortly after summer vacation, the traffic police request all heads of schools, coaching institutions to closely monitor instances of minor driving among students and to take proactive measures to prevent such violations. We earnestly advise all parents and guardians not to permit their children to ride or drive vehicles,” she said. Under Section 199A of the Motor Vehicles Act, a person below 18 years of age was not legally allowed to drive motor vehicles. In case of violation, the law could catch up with the parent, guardian or the vehicle owner as they could be deemed guilty of the offence. They would be liable for a fine of ₹25,000, imprisonment of up to three years and suspension of driving licence, she said.In addition, the minor involved will be produced before the Juvenile Justice Board under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The minor would be disqualified from obtaining a driving licence until the age of 25 years. The registration of the vehicle used in the offence would be cancelled for a period of 12 months, she added. During a special drive held last month, the SSP said action was initiated in 226 cases of underage driving. The parents / guardians were summoned to the traffic police station and given counselling on the serious consequences in case of minors getting caught driving. They were warned not to repeat the offence, she added. “Preventing a minor from driving is the shared responsibility that requires the active involvement of families, schools, colleges and the community. The cooperation of parents, educational institutions and the public is essential to ensure safe roads and to prevent avoidable accidents involving minors. Special enforcement drive against underage driving will continue and violators will be dealt with firmly in accordance with law,” the SSP said. Published - June 03, 2026 07:37 pm IST