The police cracked down on underage riders on Tuesday and said they would target unruly City Ride buses next.

Patna police teams camped near several schools in the morning hours and caught hold of students who come on two-wheelers without driving licences.

DIG (central range) Shalin told The Telegraph that the weeklong drive against traffic violators would now extend to the City Ride buses. Tuesday's drive, he said, was a message to school authorities and parents who allow underage children to come to schools on two-wheelers.

He said: "Today, I had called owners of City Ride buses for a meeting," Shalin said. "The police requested them to ply buses according to rules. Starting tomorrow, they should stop at the 117 designated bus stands to pick up and drop passengers. The police will keep an eye and if they don't comply, action in the form of fines and licence cancellation will be initiated from next week. All the bus stops would be freed from encroachment."

Today, the police fined 98 students from nine prominent schools for driving without valid licence and helmets.

"Police teams had stationed themselves outside school like St. Xavier's, St. Joseph's, Don Bosco, St. Michael's, Mount Carmel, Notre Dame, Loyola and Delhi Public School and the students coming in the morning hours to attend classes on two-wheelers were stopped. None of them had driving licences and many had come to the schools without helmets. The police called their parents to the spot, explained them the rules and fined them," another police officer said.

School authorities said the school administration couldn't be blamed for this.

"At the start of the session, we had organised a parent-teacher meet and asked parents not to allow their wards to ride two-wheelers until they attain the right age," Albert Abraham, the vice-principal of St Xavier's High School, said. "Students coming on two-wheelers don't enter the campus with it. They park it in nearby areas like the Biscomaun Bhavan."

The parents said the responsibility should be collective. "One problem lies that many schools do not provide proper transport facility for the students. The schools can't just say they aren't responsible," said S.K. Sinha, whose son is a student at St Michael's School. "But the parents are responsible for sure and they shouldn't provide two-wheelers to their children. Rash driving is a major problem in Patna. As a parent, I welcome the step."