Kerala: Driving schools keep candidates off tests
The driving schools, though claimed, they were yet to train candidates along the modified lines.
Kochi: Driving schools kept their candidates away from driving tests conducted by the Ernakulam Regional Transport Office for the second day on Monday as they charged that “poor ground facility” would result in failure of license applicants upon implementing new modifications in driving tests. The All Kerala Motor Driving School Association clarified it was not against the reforms per se but that the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) should have enforced them only after ensuring necessary infrastructure at the driving test tracks.
“The reforms will make the test tougher demanding better skills from candidates thus increasing the chances of failure, which we are not opposing. But the driving test tracks here don’t have the infrastructure to ensure smooth implementation of some of these modifications,” said P L Milan, Association President. However, Regional Transport Officer P H Sadiq Ali rejected the charges. “The only shortcoming is lack of facility to test skill of the candidates to manoeuvre steep inclines, which for the time being is done during road tests,” he said. Earlier in the morning, candidates failed to turn up for the test even after the officers arrived. The driving schools, though claimed, they were yet to train candidates along the modified lines.
“The Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) has no room for intervention other than asking driving schools to fall in line and train accordingly. Driving schools have approached the court seeking a stay on enforcement of the modifications,” Sadiq Ali said. Among the major changes effected were reducing height of iron rods arranged in the shape of ‘H’ from five feet to half that size; taking reverse using side and rear view mirrors alone; angle parking before or after the test; manoeuvring steep inclines in a stop-and-proceed fashion. Meanwhile, Milan said the condition that those candidates who fail three successive tests will be allowed to take fresh test only after 60 days should be done away with in the wake of introduction of modified test rules.
