[hserus]

Originally Posted by haria

I think Kerala's DL tests were always more stringent than its neighbors.

For their own safety I guess. So many roads in kerala are narrow hill / ghat roads with steep curves and slopes. And of course, the kerala state RTC and private buses, which are an education in themselves in terms of how not to drive on roads.

Without at least these basics my guess is the accident rate in Kerala would quintuple at a minimum

[gkveda]

Originally Posted by haria

30% of DLs in India are Bogus, says Union Road Transport Minister

This is a very positive and Optimistic note because, this simply means, remaining 70% of the people hold valid and genuine DLs and HENCE, they drive their vehicles sensibly on roads!

How far this is near to real life scenario, by looking at the way our people drive on Roads, I really think, this is just opposite.

Driving in our country means, putting the vehicle from state of rest to motion. RTO issues DL only for the above act of changing the vehicle state from rest to motion.

Remaining everything is NOT driving. It is just God's grace that takes the vehicles to the destination. And our vehicles also believe Theory of Karma. If Karmas are not good enough for the vehicles, their destination will change to somewhere else(Either Scrap Yard, or dealership for repair, etc depending on how their Karmas are )

During driving tests, there is no concept of testing the attitude of the driver while following traffic rules, Lane disciplines, overtaking disciplines, U Turn disciplines, Speed disciplines, Road Crossing disciplines (By the way, am I sounding like talking Greek and Latin? )

[sumathindra]

Whats the point in making the statement now? This has been in existence since a long time. It is all about putting a governance in place and have genuine written and driving tests before issuing a DL. This will ensure that we have responsible drivers on the roads.

It is a a "Will" issue with the authorities and how they implement and enforce the law!

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Kerala made the driving tests more stringent from April 1st, the major changes being the following:
1) Reducing the height of the iron rods arranged in the shape of 'H' from 5 feet to 2.5 feet.
2) Taking reverse with the aid of side and rear view mirrors alone through the 'H'.
3) Angular parking.
4) Manoeuvring steep gradients in a stop and proceed fashion.

And if a candidate fails three successive tests, he/ she will be allowed to take a fresh tests only after 2 months.

And guess what, no one has turned up for tests at the city RTO for a second day on Monday.

As expected, the driving schools are blaming the infrastructure.

I'm proud of having taken the H using only rear view mirrors and without unnecessary back and forth correction movement when i appeared for the test. Also my H test got over quick compared to the rest of the people present there that day.

Btw stop and go on a gradient or parallel parking was not part of the test that day

My dl renewal is coming up in 7 months (11/2017). I suggest they make re-test mandatory for renewals also.

[hserus]

In TN the test was "put the car into gear, drive it a few hundred metres on a flat road, without stalling it". Then take a U Turn on a narrow road (so you have to reverse and turn into the U again). Done, and you're free to brave your life and limb in Chennai traffic.

Originally Posted by Sankar

I'm proud of having taken the H using only rear view mirrors and without unnecessary back and forth correction movement when i appeared for the test. Also my H test got over quick compared to the rest of the people present there that day.

Btw stop and go on a gradient or parallel parking was not part of the test that day

My dl renewal is coming up in 7 months (11/2017). I suggest they make re-test mandatory for renewals also.

[haria]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I'm proud of having taken the H using only rear view mirrors and without unnecessary back and forth correction movement when i appeared for the test.

Many in KA is not even aware of the H test

Originally Posted by hserus

In TN the test was "put the car into gear, drive it a few hundred metres on a flat road, without stalling it".

Ditto in Bangalore - Mine was take a spin around the by lanes of Indiranagar RTO - All plain, flat roads. The only challenge was parked cars on the sides of narrow road and suddenly appearing two wheelers. Wrong choice of place, I'd say - to risk the life and limb of common people by people doing their DL tests. Half-way thru, the driving inspector asked me to stop, reverse the car and park it parallel to a house's compound. After that he asked to me move out of the driving seat and get into the back and asked another candidate for the test. I was surprised - kept asking whether that's all ? he (the driving inspector) replied - yeah, what do you want ? 1 hour of theory and practical ? I wisely kept my mouth shut.
Got my DL via post in another 20 days.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by haria

Many in KA is not even aware of the H test

Hahaha I know had a few friends from my state with KA license

Originally Posted by hserus

In TN the test was "put the car into gear, drive it a few hundred metres on a flat road, without stalling it". Then take a U Turn on a narrow road (so you have to reverse and turn into the U again). Done, and you're free to brave your life and limb in Chennai traffic.

Yep, here also we had/have an on road demo session after the H. But like you said its just for namesakes and doesn't really prove anything. If someone progressed to this stage then getting the license was a given even if they stall. Just smile sheepishly and the officer will rebuke them but will not fail them, thanks to schools.

[hserus]

TN 07 RTO where I got my license didn't even do the driving test on a road with traffic. Not too far from their office there's a deserted / empty beach with a flat and level strip of road adjoining it and only a few large houses with gates facing the beach. So as a rule there is zero traffic in the mid afternoon other than RTO related vehicles.

[Sankar]

Here is a video of the new test being conducted here in KL for LMV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FfyHLskmfM

[neeravnaik]

Originally Posted by hserus

In TN the test was "put the car into gear, drive it a few hundred metres on a flat road, without stalling it". Then take a U Turn on a narrow road (so you have to reverse and turn into the U again). Done, and you're free to brave your life and limb in Chennai traffic.

Here in bangalore it was not even that. Just drive 50 m and and hop off for the next person.

[abhishek46]

Originally Posted by haria

Ditto in Bangalore - Mine was take a spin around the by lanes of Indiranagar RTO - All plain, flat roads. The only challenge was parked cars on the sides of narrow road and suddenly appearing two wheelers. Wrong choice of place, I'd say - to risk the life and limb of common people by people doing their DL tests. Half-way thru, the driving inspector asked me to stop, reverse the car and park it parallel to a house's compound.

In the India context, this test is still better than NO test at all.
It is possible to identify a poor driver from this simple test alone, as it involves reversing, parking, reaction times (due to suddenly appearing people/vehicles).

[batman]

How many of you have checked your Driving licence (DL) for its genuinity through the apps like mParivahan, especially the ones who had got their original licence in booklet form until 1990's and later renewed it.

From the recent experience of a friend, I would say Gadkari's statement could be true. But what is indigestible is the doubt whether fake DL's are even created in the RTO's itself. My friend got his DL in 1996/97 from an RTO in Chennai after simply signing a form and a photo taken from the RTO premises itself. His DL was having a number like issued originally in the early 1990's and the current one was for additional endorsement. He was using the same until he was nearing 40 (which was then, the expiry timeline). Later, he renewed his licence from an another RTO office in Chennai by himself without even going through any Driving Schools or Brokers. He was using the same until recently.

When we met few months back, I told him about the app mParivahan and the possibility of storing the digital licence in it. When we tried entering his DL number, someone else picture / name appeared for that number. So we thought there could be some typographical error and we checked for few numbers below and above the indicated number in his DL and it was not to be found. Only then we realised that the DL that he had could be fake, although he got it renewed from the RTO itself, about more than 5 years back. So, I wonder how the RTO renewed it? Was there no link between the DL number and the name of the person in their database then?

Now my friend applied for a fresh Driving Licence and got it formally!

[hserus]

Your friend's license was issued by an RTO and hence is genuine. It is likely that the data entry operator has messed up in their system.

Go to the RTO and sort that out. They will probably cancel your friend's license and issue a fresh one. Or correct the details.

Originally Posted by batman

Only then we realised that the DL that he had could be fake, although he got it renewed from the RTO itself, about more than 5 years back. So, I wonder how the RTO renewed it? Was there no link between the DL number and the name of the person in their database then?

Now my friend applied for a fresh Driving Licence and got it formally!

[batman]

Originally Posted by hserus

Your friend's license was issued by an RTO and hence is genuine. It is likely that the data entry operator has messed up in their system.

Go to the RTO and sort that out. They will probably cancel your friend's license and issue a fresh one. Or correct the details.

Since he thought it could lead to unnecessary issues / trouble (as he got his initial licence in a bit dubious manner, although he got it from RTO) he already applied for a fresh licence and got it.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by batman

Since he thought it could lead to unnecessary issues / trouble (as he got his initial licence in a bit dubious manner, although he got it from RTO) he already applied for a fresh licence and got it.

If there are multiple duplicate licenses issued to the same person it is very likely that they will figure it out and cancel one or more of the licenses, sooner or later, in a data cleanup exercise. So let the RTO know in any case.