Driving tests in Kasaragod halted until May 24 due to ‘COVID-19’

Driving tests in Kasaragod, Kerala, have been halted until May 24th due to the ongoing indefinite strike led by driving school owners. The Transport Department cited Covid-19 as the reason for rejecting applicants’ driving test applications, prompting the suspension.

The strike, organized by various associations including CITU, INTUC, and the All Kerala Driving School Owners Association, protests against new regulations introduced by the state Motor Vehicle Department. These regulations aim to enhance the evaluation of candidates’ driving skills under diverse road conditions.

Changes in the rules initially limited the number of driving test applicants supervised by a Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) to 30 per day, later increased to 60 following protests. Moreover, vehicles with automatic gear transmission and electric vehicles are barred from use in the driving test, and driving schools must employ vehicles no older than 15 years, equipped with dashboard cameras for testing. However, confusion persists among Road Transport Offices (RTOs) regarding the implementation of these rules, as official orders have not been issued despite verbal proposals from Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar. Consequently, officials have refrained from conducting tests for 60 people per day, citing the lack of official authorization.