Now, head to college to get your driving licence too

“I was gifted a bike of my choice by my parents. It was awful travelling in crowded BMTC buses to college. I am only 17, so cannot get a driver’s licence. Now that the college will start accepting applications for a driving licence, I will apply for one soon as I turn 18,” said L Kataria, a student of the first year of the Bachelor of Commerce course at Adarsh College, Chamarajpet.

Many of Kataria’s friends own vehicles, some of them expensive sports bikes, which they ride without a driving licence. “I have been riding for a year. I can only apply for a license next year, when I go to a degree college. Luckily, I have not been caught till now. The regular cop who catches me is now an old familiar. He accepts a small amount as a bribe and lets me off,” says Bharath V, a student of the second pre-university class.

Kataria and Bharath are hardly exceptions. Many teenagers ride two-wheelers even before they are old enough to be eligible for a driving licence; in many instances, the bikes are gifts from parents.

In a bid to curtail unruly riders and bring them within the purview of the law, minister for home and transport R Ashoka launched a pilot programme at Adarsh College that will allow students to apply for the driver’s licence through the college.

“I understand how much you all love riding your own vehicle. But I would request you to ride carefully. It is for your own convenience that we are bringing you the facility of getting a driving licence at the college through the Road Transport Office,” Ashoka said.

The Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) which has joined hands with the transport department, also brought application forms for the students. Some  students had the rare honour of receiving their driver’s licence from the transport minister. The minister listened to the students’ request to lower the bus pass fee for them. He announced that he had already got the matter sanctioned by the finance department; the fee for students would cost Rs200 less.

The youth seem to think that bending the rules is a necessity, since city roads are unkind to bicyclists. BMTC buses are often inconvenient, one has to change buses, many of which are overcrowded. “The whole day is packed. Right after college, I have to rush to a coaching centre. Waiting for buses means I’ll get late everywhere I go, and have to change three or four buses each day. That’s so tiring. My parents understand,” said Nikhil Solanki, a first-year degree student who rides a bike without a licence.