For a city,which claims to have the largest number of vehicles per capita in India,every second person taking a test to become eligible for a driving licence fails. Blame it on the lack of knowledge of traffic rules,or disinterest in following them,if one goes by the records with the Chandigarh Traffic Police,it seems,safe and qualified drivers are still a myth on the city roads. Sample this: More than 100 candidates take the driving test conducted every day by the Chandigarh Traffic Police to get a regular driving license issued. Only 50 per cent clear the test. The scene is worse in case of the computerised multiple choice question test for the learners license. More than 135 candidates take the multiple choice test conducted by the Registration and Licensing Authority,but only 40 per cent make the cut. This,when they need to correctly answer only 15 out of the 25 questions given to clear the test. Whats worse is the fact that this happens even after authorities conduct a class before the test where the candidates are told about the traffic signals,signages and the lane driving. A CCTV footage of road accidents are also shown to the candidates to tell them how trivial mistakes on the part of the a driver or a pedestrian can lead to major mishaps. Sub-Inspector Sukhdev Singh,Chandigarh Traffic Police,blames it on fear of taking exams. The mere thought of appearing in the test instils a fear in the minds of people. Besides,they are not aware of basic traffic signages and also lack the sense to drive properly. Such candidates end up coming again and again to take the test, Sukhdev Singh says,adding it is not only the life of the one who is driving at stake,but also the life of others on the road. A number of aspirants end up stopping on or after the zebra line on the road not realising that the vehicles in the other lanes can hit them, the traffic policeman says even as he blames parents in the UT for letting their under-age children drive without getting even the learners licence. The right way is to get a learners license and then learn to drive. There is no driving test for those applying for learners license, he adds. His concern is voiced by Jai Singh Dogra,Motor Vehicle Inspector of Registration and Licensing Authority (RLA). We have a very poor pass percentage in the multiple choice question test despite the fact that all the information related to the test is available on the RLA website. The test is not difficult but candidates who appear are not aware of traffic rules, Dogra says. The RLA has a bank of 212 questions from which the candidates have to give answers to 25 picked at random.
