July 16,2017:
Country is issuing over 1.15 crore fresh or renewed driving licences every year, but the 60% don't know how to drive.
Six out of every 10 people with driving licence in India never actually sat behind a wheel to get it, according to the sample survey done across the 10 cities, including Five Metros, which have highest vehicle population.
Just 12% of the drivers in Agra got their licence honest way, with 88% of respondents admitting they did not give the driving test.
Same goes for the 72% drivers in Jaipur and 64% in Guwahati. About 54% in Delhi and half of respondents in Mumbai too gave this mandatory test a miss.
Survey was conducted by the Road Safety Advocacy Group Save LIFE Foundation, comes at a time when Rajya Sabha is set to discuss the amendments to Motor Vehicles Act, which have been passed by Lok Sabha.
Amendments provide for an IT-based driving test of the applicants and heavy fine for possession of the fake or more than one licence.
"It is appalling to note that 59% respondents admittedly did not give a test to get a driving licence. Licencing System in India is corrupt and inefficient, whilemandatory driver training system is non-existent," stated the report.
Supreme Court-appointed panel in the year 2014 had urged Apex Court to come out with direction that the every designated officer issue not more than 15-20 driving licences a day since it's humanly impossible to test skill of 130-150 drivers daily.
This was indicated when the Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, while initiating debate on bill in April, asked How many MPs had appeared for the Driving Licence test, and barely a few hands went up.
"It is clear from study that the citizens are deeply concerned about their safety on road. An overwhelming majority of them feel that a strong road safety law will help in improving situation," Piyush Tewari, Founder and the CEO of Save-LIFE Foundation stated.
With inputs from TOI.
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