Penalty fear triggers rush for driver’s licence in Haryana

Hisar, September 12

The fear of coughing up heavy penalties under the recently introduced stringent Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act appears to be having the desired results in Haryana, if the number of applications being received for learner’s licence is any indication. 

EDIT: Stiff penalty must stay

As many as 44,793 learner’s licence applications have been received in Haryana in the first 12 days of the introduction of the new Act on September 1, a significant rise compared to an average 39,397 applications per month received till August 31. Government website sarathi.parivahan.gov.in (run by Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways) shows that regional transport authority (RTA) offices in respective subdivisions of Haryana received 3,15,179 applications from January 1 to August 31. The portal shows that of the new applicants, 31,131 had been issued learner’s licence while the process was on for the rest. 

“We are overworked since September 1. There is a flood of applications for learner’s licence as well as for new driver’s licence or for their renewal,” said an operator at the Hisar Saral Kendra.  SDM Paramjit Singh Chahal said they had, in view of the rush, deployed additional operators at the kendra. He said the government had introduced another condition for learner licence applicants, who would have to undergo a day’s training at Red Cross Society to procure a mandatory first aid certification. Within three months of procuring a learner licence, an applicant has to undergo driving and other tests to procure a regular driving licence.  — TNS

Figuring out the scare

3,59,972   Total learner’s licence applications in Haryana from January 1-Sept 12

44,793       Of these received from Sept 1-12 (after introduction of new Motor Vehicles Act)

39,397          Was the average monthly number of applications before the new Act

4,016  Max applications for learner licence in Faridabad (from Sept 1-12); 7 (lowest) in Mewat