The traffic police will intensify a drive against under-age riding in the steel city from Monday.

If any under-age rider is caught at a checkpoint, they will be slapped with a penalty of as high as Rs 25,000.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Babban Singh said in the event if any minor fails to pay the penalty amount, the vehicle will be seized and it can be released from the traffic police's custody only after submitting the penalty in court.

"We have already started implementing the Motor Vehicle Act as framed by the Central government and approved by the Supreme Court. But from Monday onwards, our focus will be on the under-age driving, "said Singh to The Telegraph Online.

The senior traffic cop claimed to have observed that a large number of minors indulged in riding scooters and bikes thus not only putting their lives at risk, but also the lives of other commuters.

The traffic DSP said to make the drive against under-age riding effective, the check points will be set up at unusual places and time so that a sense of fear may be instilled in the mind of such minor riders.

There are over five lakh two-wheelers in the city. Over five per cent of the two-wheeler riders are minors, most of them being school students.

Significantly, the traffic police have started a helmet checking against the pillion-riders and charging a penalty of Rs 1,000 for not wearing one. In the event if the rider too is found without a helmet, the penalty amount is going up to Rs 2,000.