Kerala revamps licence test modalities; driving schools protest

The Kerala government’s move to completely revamp its driving licence test, making it more rigorous and challenging for aspirants to obtain a licence, is being challenged by driving school unions.

The unions have started a state-wide strike, suspending driving licence tests across Kerala. They demand withdrawal of the Motor Vehicles’ Department circular that brought out the new reforms.

The Kerala Motor Vehicles’ Department is to implement the new reforms on May 2.

The union leaders claim they are not against the new reforms but want more time for implementation. The unions are mainly opposing the directives to install a dashboard camera on vehicles used for learning and testing, as well as the ban on vehicles older than 15 years for testing and learning, they said.

”We are not against the new reforms. But we demand more time for implementation. We have not been given any training as to how to conduct the new tests, and no infrastructure has been prepared for the conduct of the new tests,” Unni, a driving school owner and member of the All Kerala Driving School Owners’ Association, told PTI. He said they demanded having similar facilities in all the 84 testing centres in the state, and that the tests conducted in all these centres should be uniform.

”We are opposing the haste of the government in implementing these reforms. There is already a case pending at the Hon’ble High Court of Kerala, and why the government cannot wait till a judgment?” Unni asked.

The association has moved the High Court to challenge the MVD circular that has made dashboard cameras compulsory and banned the use of vehicles older than 15 years old for testing.

The association members said that they will continue the strike until this circular is withdrawn. The Motor Vehicles’ Inspector, who was present to conduct the tests at the Muttathara testing ground in Thiruvananthapuram, said six applicants had registered for testing on Thursday, but they could not conduct the tests. ”They were blocked by the protestors, and we could not conduct the tests today. We had invited all six who had registered for testing today. But the applicants could not enter the testing ground,” Venu, the MVI, told PTI.

The new learners wholeheartedly welcome the new reforms and consider it as a good move to improve driving skills and road behaviour.

”I consider it good, and it is better for those who learn it and get a licence. The reforms are good,” Nasrin, a driving school student, said.

The Kerala Motor Vehicles’ Department issued a circular on April 4, 2024, amending the conditions for the driving licence test. As per the circular, the applicant will have to undergo several real-life driving challenges and secure a pass to earn a licence.

The circular made it mandatory to have the road test on a road with busy traffic and to have tests on angular parking, parallel parking, zig-zag driving, and gradient testing before conducting a ‘H’ test on the ground. It was also mandated to have only 30 driving tests, 20 new and 10 from the earlier failed batch, per day. As per the circular, for a two-wheeler driving licence, only motorcycles with gear pedals on the leg above 95 cc will be allowed. For four-wheeler driving test, no electric cars or automatic cars will be allowed.

It also made it mandatory to have a dashboard camera and a vehicle location tracking device on the light motor vehicle used for testing, and these have to be installed by the driving school owner.

The driving instructor should record the test using the camera, and the memory card should be carried to the Motor Vehicles’ Inspector.

This data will then be transferred to the MVD system, and the owner has to keep the memory card intact for the next three months.

The circular also mandated that no vehicle aged above 15 years should be used for driving tests.