Lack of correct diligence whereas granting driving licence and insufficient legislation enforcement had been leading to a excessive variety of highway fatalities in Maharashtra, consultants stated. In keeping with the information shared by the Maharashtra transport division, 97.24 per cent of 32.04 lakh residents who utilized for driving licences had handed the assessments, whereas solely 2.4 per cent failed and 0.36 per cent didn’t flip up. Among the many 50 regional transport places of work (RTOs) in Maharashtra, 14 had a failure price of lower than 1 per cent amongst driving check candidates, whereas solely six had a failure price of greater than 5 per cent, the information stated. What’s extra critical is that in some RTO places of work, the failure price was under 0.50 per cent and some had it greater than 7-8 per cent. Specialists say it’s obscure how so many drivers had been passing driving assessments, contemplating the alarming variety of accidents on state roads. “With every passing day, we hear of horrific highway crashes that declare lives of harmless folks. The method of issuing driving licences must be improved to have the ability to critically assess the protected driving expertise of candidates. This may guarantee solely expert drivers are granted licences,” stated Ajay Gowale, undertaking director of United Method Mumbai NGO.
Driving assessments are performed by RTOs to evaluate a person’s driving expertise and data of visitors guidelines and rules. Nevertheless, earlier than taking the driving check, candidates have to amass a studying licence, which is legitimate for six months. Apparently, in comparison with driving licence assessments, the failure price of studying licence assessments was excessive in 2022, the transport division’s information revealed. Out of 18.80 lakh candidates for studying licences in 2022, 9.23 per cent (1.73 lakh) had failed the check, it acknowledged. As per the accident knowledge shared by the transport division, at the least 14,883 folks had been killed and 27,218 injured in 33,069 highway crashes that occurred within the state final 12 months. Specialists have alleged that the driving check is taken into account a mere formality at most RTOs and a everlasting driving licence is granted with out correctly testing driving expertise. Such a low failure price solely highlights the necessity for a complete overhaul of the system. “Each poor driver as soon as added to the streets is a menace to himself and others. Lakhs of such drivers can be on roads for many years to come back,” stated Ranjit Gadgil, undertaking director of NGO Parisar from Pune.
He additional stated that it will likely be not possible for India to halve its highway crash fatalities and accidents by 50 per cent by 2025 as declared by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and even by 2030 with unsafe and unqualified drivers.
Talking on the problem, Vijaykumar Duggal, the director of 3A Street Security Basis, stated as per rule 15 of the Central Motor Autos Guidelines (CMVR), RTO officers should check candidates on 24 parameters, together with adjusting mirrors and seat place, taking precautions earlier than beginning the engine, and signalling whereas taking a flip.
“The driving licence competence (DLC) check sheet is mechanically generated by the Union authorities’s Parivahan system for every applicant. The RTO inspector conducting the check ought to fill the sheet and add it, however in Maharashtra, they neither notice if all 24 parameters are checked, nor add it on the system,” Duggal claimed, including that this lax method is among the causes for the rise in highway accidents. A retired RTO official cited that in contrast to the present good card licences, the again web page of the outdated licences used to come back with the message – “driving is a privilege and never a proper”. Therefore, driving licences should not be granted to incompetent drivers to save lots of lives on roads, he stated. Maharashtra transport commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar stated motorcar inspectors conduct driving assessments and candidates move or fail based mostly on their judgment. “To put off the human judgment ingredient, automated check (driving) tracks are being developed. Presently, one such observe has been arrange in Pune and tenders can be issued for 18 others quickly,” the official stated.
