Thiruvananthapuram: A day after automated driving testing yard was commissioned in the state capital, driving schools in the city boycotted the facility on Friday. About 100 driving licence aspirants who turned up to take the test on Friday kept off from taking the tests as instructed by their driving school instructors. The school authorities maintained that taking the test in the automated test track required more practice and hence the new test system should not be enforced all of a sudden. They also alleged there was disparity citing that the automated testing facility was only under four regional transport offices (RTOs) in the state.
“We are not opposed to the new test. However we are opposing its hasty implementation and disparity,” said Jayaprakash of JJ Driving School in Kovalam. He said that the driving schools would participate in the tests only if at least the authorities allowed the installation of four poles on the H-track. “For practicing students to take H without poles required more classes, for which we will have to charge more fees from students. Moreover, in case a student fails in the test, we have to remit a fail fee of Rs 300,” he maintained.
Driving school instructors maintain than even a practiced government driver who took a trial test as part of the inauguration of the yard on Thursday had failed. Meanwhile Thiruvananthapuram Regional Transport Officer Mr. Muraleekrishnan said that the new automated facility was aimed at ensuring that only quality drivers get a licence. “We do not intend to make any relaxations in the new tests,” he said.
Site in-charge of the yard Mr. Anoop S said that though some of the driving schools had demanded that they should be allowed to conduct practice on automated driving testing yard for students in the new year, it could not be allowed because of chances of damage that might be caused by poor drivers. Automated yards were commissioned in Kannur, Kozhikode and Parassala where the gradient and parking testing were not being done in view of protests as well as complaints over the degree of the gradient, said sources.
