Teen Porsche driver barred from driving until 25 yrs

In the early hours of Sunday, the car driven by the teen at 160 kmph fatally knocked down two motorbike-borne software engineers at Kalyani Nagar in Pune. According to Pune police, the driver was under the influence of alcohol

Pune: The Maharashtra Transport department on Wednesday directed the Pune RTO not to issue a driver’s licence to the 17-year-old Porsche driver until he turns 25. This will probably be the first time such a move has been taken which will prevent the accused from driving a vehicle even after turning a major.

Pune: The Porsche car found without number plate, in Pune, Tuesday, May 21, 2024. The car was allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy who knocked down two motorbike riders on Sunday, causing their death in Kalyani Nagar of Pune city, as the police claim. (PTI Photo)(PTI05_21_2024_000177B) (PTI)

In addition to this, the Porsche Taycan, which currently has temporary registration, will now be cancelled and will likely not be allowed to register at any RTO offices for at least 12 months.

In the early hours of Sunday, the car driven by the teen at 160 kmph fatally knocked down two motorbike-borne software engineers at Kalyani Nagar in Pune. According to Pune police, the driver was under the influence of alcohol.

“We will be taking stringent action in this case and provision under subsections of Section 199A (offences by juveniles) of the Motor Vehicles Act will be invoked in this case and be included in the FIR. The luxury car’s permanent registration was underway and the owner also paid money to get a special VIP number,” said state transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar.

The permanent registration of this Porsche has been pending since March due to non-payment of ₹1,758 fees by the owner. Other duties and taxes were paid and the owner, according to government officers, had visited the RTO office as well to complete the procedure.

The Porsche Taycan was imported in March by a Bengaluru-based dealer and from there, it was sent to Maharashtra on a temporary registration. It had a valid temporary registration certificate for six months until September 2024, which was issued in Karnataka. As per the rule, a vehicle with temporary registration can be driven from the RTO to home. If caught, then the driver must pay a fine.

In Maharashtra, electric vehicles are exempt from road tax, so the registration fee for this Porsche Taycan, a battery electric luxury sports sedan, amounted to ₹1,758, covering ₹1,500 in hypothecation fees, ₹200 for the smart-card RC (registration certificate), and ₹58 in postal charges. This vehicle costs up to ₹2 crore (approximately) and will now be impounded for a year.