Pune RTO car licence test slipping gears with automatic fail

If you have learned to drive on an automatic transmission car, there are chances, that you might fail your permanent license driving test.

In the past few months there has been an increase of applicants failing the driving test which is conducted at Institute Of Driving Training And Research (IDTR), Bhosari.

According to officials the Pune Regional Transport Office (RTO) conducts 220 tests per day. Of these at least 10-20 applicants fail the test. These applicants are those who have been trained on cars with automatic transmission.

Reason being, applicants who are trained on the automatic transmission car are asked to take the test on manual transmission car. Vehicles with manual transmission require the operation of clutch every time a driver shifts the gear. In automatic cars, the driver still has to operate the gear lever, but without the hassle involving the clutch. Thus, leading to most drivers failing the test.

Applicants and driving schools have demanded RTO include option of taking test on automatic cars, just like gear and non-gear options for two-wheelers.

Shekhar Channe, Maharashtra state transport commissioner said, “As of now, the testing tracks in the state do not have an option in the four-wheeler permanent license test, where applicants can be given the option of automatic transmission dual control four-wheeler vehicle for the test. I will have to check in our records, whether we have coordinated about this issue with the central government to make the amendments, but I will certainly look into this issue and try to find a solution.”

“Most people coming to our driving school own an automatic transmission car. They learn to drive on that car. However, when they go for the driving test, they are asked to take the test on manual transmission car instead of the automatic. These people do not know to drive the manual car and hence, fail the test. Most people prefer buying automatic models rather than the manual version of the car. The RTO should make provision for taking the test on automatic car as many drivers are failing the test, Most of these drivers who are failing the test are women and senior citizens,” said Ravi Agarwal, a driving school owner and authorised agent at Pune RTO.

“According to the Central Motor Vehicle Act, till now, tests are being conducted on the manual transmission dual control cars, but looking at the increasing number of applicants using automatic transmission cars, the state transport department should consider this change and make availability of automatic transmission dual control cars at the testing track,” said, Raju Ghatole, president of Pune City Motor Driving School Association.

Ruchi Pant, who failed her driving test said, “I have an automatic car and learnt to drive on the same car. However, when I went for the test I was asked to drive the manual car. I did not know how to drive the manual version and, Hence, I failed. Conducting tests only on manual cars is completely unfair. The state government should change the rule soon.”

First, and just not up to date

IDTR testing track:

220: Number of driving tests conducted by the RTO, per day, on the tracks of Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR), Pune

120: No of tests @ Pune RTO

100: No of tests @ Pimpri-Chinchwad RTO

10-15: Number of applicants failing the driving test. All these applicants have been trained on cars with automatic transmission

Applicant demands:

Applicants and driving schools have demanded RTO include option of taking test on automatic cars, just like gear and non-gear options for two-wheelers

Fees for test:

Rs 1,066: fees for both two-wheeler and four-wheeler permanent licence

Rs 766: fees for four wheeler permanent license test

Rs 100: fees for Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) track

Rs 200: fees for dual control of four-wheeler given to applicant for the test

Types of tracks:

8-shape: Trackused to check turning skills

H-shape: Track used to observe reverse driving skills. This is a gradient track which checks if the driver is skilled enough to control a vehicle on an incline or decline

Result: The computerised system is attached to censors with which accurate reading of driver skills is marked and accordingly he/she was given the result