Chennai's new worrying trend, kids on bikes

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: This new trend of minors on bikes is causing sleepless nights not just for parents but also the police.

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Chennai: Police in Chennai have a new worry, many school kids in the city ride around town without licenses. But now the police is taking action, not just against them but their parents too.

While observing just another school day end in a Chennai school, virtually every student seems to have replaced the traditional bicycle with a fast and furious motor cycle.

Those zipping around on their bikes include students like 16-year-old Yasser who is in his XII standard and does not have a driving license. But for the last three years he's been burning the roads in his 150CC motorcycle.

Chennai Police have fined more than 40 students in then last 10 days and have also started fining the person in whose name the vehicles are registered.

Police say by fining the person in whose name the vehicle is registered, it ensures that even the parents are warned.

"This is the second phase of our drive against minors riding two wheelers. We have the identified schools and have held a meeting with the school management and parents asking them to not encourage the minors," says Additional Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar.

Police also want school authorities to ensure that their students do not ride a bike without a license.

However the question remains, who is to be blamed? The police who doesn't seem to be crashing down hard enough on these offenders.

The parents who support and encourage their children, or is it the children themselves for whom the temptation of zooming past in their fancy bikes seems to be irresistible.