Post-2010 licensees better drivers: Study

A sample study conducted by transport planner Vivek Pai done on the process of issuing driving licences reveals that an alarming 65% of the licence holders were not asked to undergo a test and 58% of the respondents claimed that the process to issue the license was corrupt. 

“Over last few months, there has been a lot of talk about rash driving in Mumbai.
Therefore, we decided to do a survey of existing driving licence holders in Mumbai to find the relation between the way they were tested and their ability to drive on the roads,” said Vivek Pai, a transport planner.

About 57% of the pre-2010 licence holders revealed that they were not asked to appear for a theory test. But the scenario changed in the last three years, with 61% respondents claiming that they had to undergo tests which were carried in a non-corrupt and efficient manner.

The study also revealed that 55% respondents, who procured their license before 2010, were scared to be on the wheel on congested roads. However, 74% of the respondents, who procured their licence post 2013 drive more confidently during rush hour.

“This show that things have possibly improved over the last few years,” said Pai. The reasons for improvement is possibly due to the measures adopted by the transport department to make driving tests more stringent to reduce road accidents.