Now Get Your Driving License In Under An Hour

Getting a driving license in India is nothing less than getting a trophy for self-containment. No matter where you are in the country, visiting an RTO (Regional Transport Office) is a horror that few are ready to embrace and even fewer go through with it. The government of Punjab clearly observed the same happening over and over again to citizens of the state, and in April this year introduced automated driving test centres in partnership with Smart Chip Limited, a subsidiary of Safran Limited.

The idea behind these automated driving test centres is simple – Get a driving licence on-the-spot without any hassles. Licenses for both two-wheelers and cars can be obtained from these centres. All the applicant has to do is register for the driving test, pay the fees (Rs 250, can be paid online as well) and get a token at the centre. There are different tests, depending on whether you want the license for a two-wheeler or a car. There are two separate test tracks at the testing facilities – one for two-wheelers and the other for cars. For two-wheelers, the applicants have to manoeuvre their vehicle on a tight 'double-8' serpentine track and complete the test without putting their feet down anywhere while on the track.

For cars, there are a total of 4 tests in place. The first is a gradient, wherein the applicant has to stop the car on an ascending slope and then move up without rolling back down. The next test is designed to check how an applicant does when asked to parallel park in the allotted space. The third test is designed to check the reverse driving capabilities of the applicant. The testee has to drive the car in a 'S' pattern in reverse. The final test is to demonstrate car control in a 'figure of 8' test, wherein the applicant has to drive the car in a 'S' pattern within the allotted track.

One might wonder who does the scoring for the tests. This is where the automation part comes into the equation. The tests are evaluated by an electronically controlled committee of biometric system, webcasting system, vibration sensors and beam sensors, along with high definition cameras recording the entire process. All the data is stored in the form of a video and applicants can view their performances to understand where they went wrong. If the applicant passes all the four tests, he/she can get a license at that facility within an hour. The cost of obtaining a driving license is Rs 350 for both a two-wheeler testee or a car applicant. This means there isn't any fussing about with the local RTO or the concerned government officials. It is a fantastic initiative taken by the government of Punjab. A total of 32 such test centres have been approved by the governing officials and a few are already operational.

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The government of Punjab has also tied up with India's largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki to impart trainings at the test centres for citizens willing to learn how to drive. Centres which are currently online include Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Naruana. Apart from these centres, the government is working to build test centres in places like Amritsar, Barnala, Fazilka, Batala (Gurdaspur), Jagraon, Khanna, Ludhiana, Mansa and Nawan Shahr.