Among a variety of causes of increasing road accident fatalities in the country, one is of fake driving licenses of the drivers. What have we to say when a responsible person like the Union Road Transport Minister publicly admits that 30 per cent of licenses issued by RTOs in the country are fake? Therefore we have the horrible statistics of deaths, mostly of innocent people, in road accidents all over the country.
The death toll of road accidents in our State is much higher in ratio in comparison to many other states of the country. We assign the prime reason for this phenomenon to the hilly tracks and dangerous turns through which our highways have to pass. However, we are aware that most of our drivers are without official licenses and more often than not they undertake to drive the bus loaded with passengers.
Possession of fake license to the tune of thirty per cent throughout the country eloquently speaks of vast corruption in the system of issuing driving licenses. Taken into consideration the number of vehicles and drivers that we have in the country, it is obvious that corruption will be rampant while the authorities deal with such vast numbers. Besides the incumbent applicant for the driving certificate from accredited authorities of the Government, the traffic police functionaries, licenses issuing authorities and the Transport Department all are involved and responsible for giving rise to proliferation of fake license. Prospective drivers do not have time or resources to undergo regular driving training. There are only a few Governments owned training schools to train applicants making formal approach for the issuance of the licenses. Those in charge of preparing the case for submission to authorities have developed nexus with the authorities.
Taking note of these loopholes in the system of issuance of driving licenses throughout the country, the Road Transport Minister at the Union Government made a most welcome announcement in which he disclosed the comprehensive process of driving of vehicles by newly provided driving licensees. The Union Transport Minister has announced that the Government will be opening 2000 driving schools across the country. Moreover, he announced digitalization of issuing of license. It means that throughout the country one formally accepted norm of electronic issuance of driving licenses will be followed. It further stipulates that within three days of completion of papers and driving test, proper driving licenses will be issued to the person and he will be saved from the hassle of running after the functionaries. Failure of concerned functionary to issue the license in three days will entail disciplinary action against him.
We think this is a major reform programme in issuing new digitalized driving licenses to the drivers and will be valid throughout the country. Among other reformative steps is that of installation of cameras at all squares to keep track of who violates the traffic rules and can be brought to books. The cameras will show whether the concerned traffic police functionary is at the beat or not and whether he is managing traffic control system satisfactorily.
We are happy to know that this reform measure has been brought by the Union Ministry of Transport. Thousands of lives can be saved if the status of the drivers is ascertained when a fatal accident happens. The State Transport Department should also fall in line and offer to accept application of the Union Government’s decisions in this behalf to the State also. We have expressed these views at a number of times in the past and emphasized that it is the high responsibility of State Government to assure safety of passengers along the National Highways in the State.
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