No checking for women drivers,say Gurgaon police

But police chief Deswal said the order was passed after checking crime trends,the number of challans issued and apprehensions — these show “women are safe drivers who stay away from crime”. He said,“There are hardly any cases of drink driving or speeding by women,as per our records. We must encourage them,so we decided not to check them.”

But he warned that parents should not take advantage of the move by allowing under-aged girls to drive.

Deswal emphasised that the rule would apply to women who drive to Gurgaon from Delhi and other parts of the NCR. “I have also asked the traffic police to educate women found using mobile phones while driving. They (women drivers) will not be issued challans,unless it is a serious offence,” Deswal said.

While many welcomed the move,some were sceptical,saying this could encourage reckless driving.

Dr Priyanka Ghosh,a dentist who lives in Dwarka and works in Gurgaon,welcomed the move: “Women riders or drivers are apprehensive of policemen checking them,especially at night. This move will help the large number of women who travel to and from Gurgaon to Delhi and other parts of the NCR for work — they don’t have to worry about being stopped at checkpoints.”

But Gurgaon resident Neena Gupta was not so certain: “I think this is not feasible — the law should be same for everyone. It would be better if women cops are assigned the task of checking women on two-wheelers or driving cars.”