The union ministry of transport’s circular, bringing an age-old law back to the fore, is not a step in the right direction, however good the intentions behind this move may be. In fact, what this rule will do is leave a section of the youth populace stranded, if they’re looking to use private transport.
The rule is simple. According to Section 4 of the Motor Vehicles Act, ‘individuals between the ages of 16 and 18 can ride a motorcycle with engine capacity not exceeding 50 cc.’ This was a rule that was in effect before but started to get relaxed by respective police departments. In the past, up to the late 90s, there were sub-50 cc mopeds available which did not exceed speeds of 50-60 kilometres per hour. But things have changed since then.
The scooters and mopeds that were available then, with a sub-50 cc engine capacity, are not available now. So why implement this rule in the first place? This will only create a genre of bikes in the country that will be discarded after two years, as the 18 year olds look to upgrade to better bikes.
The need to enforce this stems from the increasing number of accidents involving youth in Goa and in India. There is no disputing that two-wheelers are responsible for a large number of accidents, simply because of the safety issues that stem from a two-wheeler; by comparison the four-wheelers are much safer by virtue of not having passengers exposed to the elements. But will curbing the use of two-wheelers by those between the ages of 16 to 18 change this? Those 16 year olds can still get a licence and ride a two-wheeler with a larger engine capacity.
The simple fact is that the abundance of accidents and the number of deaths reflects on our own self-regulating standards as a society. There is no proper enforcement by the police, which leads to more and more people crossing the line when it comes to road ethics. As a society, we are failing these children. We need to instill a sense of responsibility into our children so they become better commuters. Yes, there will be a reduction in deaths to some extent, but those who want to ride will find ways to do so. The lack of checks and balances when giving out licences and then monitoring traffic on the roads will only breed more rash riders and drivers, irrespective of age.
Should 16 year olds be riding their own bikes? Perhaps not. If we had a proper mass transport system, this question wouldn’t even have to be posed.
