What is the logic of giving discount for vehicles to all HSLC passed students?
Imphal, June 1: When the state transport regulator is facing problems in controlling traffic in the state with the increased number of vehicles and mounting fatalities owing to rash driving mostly by minors and youths, a motorcycle dealer based in the city has put advertisement in a local daily dolling out special discounts for recently passed out class X students.
The advertisement put in a leading vernacular newspaper that reads, ‘Special Scheme For All the passed out students of BSEM 2016’ offers Rs 3000/- discount for 1st -25th position holders; Rs 2000/- discount for students who have secured above 80 percent and Rs 1000/- discount for those students who have obtained 60-80 percent; while Rs 500/- for all students who were passed in the High School Leaving Certificate examination- 2016 conducted by Board of Secondary Education Manipur.
The ‘special scheme’ is in all the models of HERO Two wheeler and it is valid till 15th June 2016, according to the colour advertisement that had been published in page 2 of June 1, 2016 edition of Poknapham daily.
As per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and latest amendment to it the minimum age of obtaining a valid licence to drive vehicles upto 50CC engine capacity and without gear is 16 years (provided parents/guardian consent) and 18 years or older is the minimum age to drive any other type of vehicle.
Meanwhile, as per report available from BSEM, around 21,000 regular students have passed the HSLC examination-2016 and most of them are under 15 years of age.
Encouraging underage students to obtain vehicles at discounted price for passing the examination is really an attractive offer. But it would certainly influence the attitude of prospective buyers who are mostly not of legal age to ride vehicles. Possibly, the vehicle dealer may hit the jackpot with this advertisement but it would certainly fling the life of the youths as well as others in danger.
Anybody with sound mind can imagine the possible scene if all the students who have just passed class X and below the age of 16 (not eligible for both provisional and permanent driving licenses) were given two wheeler and allow them ride their favorite vehicles around the streets.
