inam ul rehman
As we start to grow up our desires become solid. Having a car was one of the desires that fortified with age, but I was always certain that I will not bring it from my father’s pocket, take an interest-based loan from any bank, or sell a piece of land for it. Although I would drive the vehicles of my friends and cousins. This too stopped in 2005, after some innocuous thing became prickly.
Finally last year I was able to bring one.
Owning a vehicle is a dream that only a small population can fulfill. Then having a license to drive is what one desires. And here in Kashmir licenses were distributed like freebies. I remember in my clan some had licenses before owning a vehicle. This was not a strange thing exclusive to our clan only, I saw many people who had licenses before driving anything.
In 2021, a new regional transport officer, Kashmir, Sajid Yahya Naqash took charge and he immediately shot a message for the people telling them not to fall into the trap of touts, or intermediaries, instead he asked people to directly contact the RTO! (https://thekashmirwalla.com/avoid-intermediaries-brokers-agents-for-official-work-rto-kashmir/) Directly contact the RTO! Quality and hassle-free online service! It was another joke. Licenses were dished out at a couple of thousand rupees, despite test drives being recorded.
A few months later touts and intermediaries hiked the license rate to 10k.
By the time I applied for the driving test in March 2022 the rate went upto 18k. In March 2022, I had my first driving test for my license at the RTO Srinagar. At that time, we had to pass S or popularly known as the 8 test trial. I failed because I was nervous, and couldn’t practice. However, I was assured that I would still get the license because the old scheme of intercession was still working. Since my adulthood, it was perhaps my first and probably the last request for intercession for anything. It didn’t work. Later I came to know that the officer who had promised the license was transferred to another district!
It was then and there I decided that I won’t cave in this time for any recommendation or intercession. I would become a certified license holder, not the 90s matric pass type. And before the D-Day, I practiced for an hour. Then on October 15, 2022, as I reached the SRTC garage Bemina for the test it was heart-warming to see my friend Imran Pathan there. He made me practice again showing me the angles to cut, and the nuances of passing the test. After 5 test drives, he asked me to relax and wait for my turn now. Meanwhile, my gym buddies were also consistently in touch. They were calling, seeking live updates about the test drive. For a moment I felt as if I am playing an Indo-Pak cricket match and my gym buddies, being spectators, were getting jittery for the result.
I passed the H drive test at the RTO Srinagar without any fuss.
Here the regional transport officer, Sajid himself monitors the whole exercise, it is he who gives successful candidates a card, and the next day your digital license pings you.
Thanks to the incumbent Sajid for doing an unthinkable in Kashmir. A few more officers like him will see corruption reduced to a greater level because there are already officials who are allergic to any kind of corruption and looking for an officer like him to shield them from sharks.
Is the RTO test drive practical?
I agree with most people that the driving test held in Kashmir is not practical. In our day-to-day driving, we don’t have to reverse this way. It would be great if this test is replaced with practicality that should include a hill driving test, start-stop skills, driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, overtaking, manoeuvring on the roads, reversing in a long gully, et al. But here the question arises: in our small place with a small population having third highest car ownership in India, is it possible? (https://www.drivespark.com/four-wheelers/2022/state-wise-percentage-of-car-bike-ownership-in-india-036059.html) How much time and human resources will it take to conduct one such test?
However, what the RTO can do is to train every driver with rules and regulations. Many drivers in our part don’t understand the danger of high beam lights, importance of indicators, signals, sign boards, or speed limit, how and when to stop, turn, accelerate, overtake, or how to indicate to other drivers you are going to turn if indicators are not working.
There is another problem with this test. Participants are not told the length and width of the H! Let us say a person wants to pass this test by driving Tata Safari, which is more than 4 meters long, will the width and length of the H be increased? Or if someone wants to pass the test by driving Tata Nano will the distance be shortened? Is Tata Nano allowed? We don’t know.
Participants do not know the dos and don’ts. It is baffling that RTO officials do not allow people to film the driving test when the whole exercise is recorded by them.
