Soon, anyone over 16 years of age may get a driver's licence

 

Rejoice, young riders! There is a proposal that permits people above 16 years of age to drive gearless scooters and the Parliament was informed about it on Friday, June 22, 2016. The Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan, in a written reply, told Lok Sabha that a group of ministers has recommended a number of suggestions, one of them being this.

 

The proposal further states that licences will be granted to those aged more than 16 years to ride gearless scooters with engine capacity of below 100cc. Pon Radhakrishnan also said that government plans to fit speed-limiting devices in such scooters. However, fitment of speed-limiting devices will be extended to a few other categories of transport, he added. The speed limiters will limit the speed of vehicles to 80km/h.

 

There is also a road safety bill draft being prepared and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has constituted a panel for this purpose. The panel comprises of transport ministers from all states and it is being headed by Rajasthan's transport minister Yunoos Khan.

 

Road safety is a big concern in India where it is not just rash driving and traffic violations that have to be kept under control. In various areas across the country, youngsters who do not even hold a valid driver's licence drive or ride their vehicles. Recently, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari had met the US transport secretary Anthony Foxx to discuss the issue of road safety.