Do away with learner’s licence test: Arvind Kejriwal
Delhi chief
minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday suggested doing away with mandatory
objective tests for obtaining a learner's driving licence during his
meeting with Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari. While multiple
sources said that Kejriwal was of the opinion that the present provision
only provides room for corruption, road safety experts disagreed and
warned any such move would be contrary to best practices which have
helped cut road deaths.
TOI has learnt that during the meeting Kejriwal pointed out how regional transport offices have become dens of corruption and motor licensing officers use their discretion while issuing learner's licences to candidates. "He said since the applicant starts to learn driving after getting the licence, so he/ she can learn the necessary norms and stringent tests should be conducted while giving the final licence to a driver," said an official, who was present in the meeting.
Gadkari was also visibly convinced with this reasoning. "No decision can be taken just like that without looking into all aspects. We need to see whether certain educational qualification of applicant can make him eligible to get a learner's licence," a ministry official said.
At
present, the law mandates an applicant to submit his proof of age (18
years), address and medical certificate before taking the objective
test. The objective questions primarily relate to traffic signage,
traffic laws, right of way and what a driver should do in case of a
crash. Scoring 60% marks is necessary to obtain a learner's licence.
In
developed countries, which have safer roads, the test for getting a
learner's licence is far more stringent and obtaining a permanent
licence is considered an achievement. "Poor road user culture in India
is primarily because drivers don't understand the rights and
responsibilities of the right of way, which is to be tested before a
person gets a learner's licence. Most of the knowledge must be known
before you are issued a learner's licence. So the theory part must be
tested before you get learner's licence and the practical aspects must
be tested before you get a permanent licence," said road safety expert
Rohit Baluja.
He
added if we give licence as the developed world, then the number of
vehicles will reduce drastically. "If Kejriwal or any other leader wants
to fight corruption, they must ensure stricter and technology-based
tests to get both learner's and permanent licence without any compromise
rather than doing way with the norm," Baluja said.
The
recent proposal of transport ministry to do away with the minimum
educational qualification for driving licence is being questioned and
even a Supreme Court appointed panel has reportedly objected to this.
Do away with learner’s licence test: Arvind Kejriwal
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