Students across Maharashtra to get their learner’s driving license in colleges

Students will now be able complete the necessary formalities for acquiring their learner’s license directly from college, Transport Minister Diwakar Raote announced on Wednesday.

Raote’s ‘populist’ announcement came hours after the election commission declared the dates for the ten civic corporation and 25 divisional council polls in the state.

The learning licenses will be issued for both two and four-wheelers and save youngsters the trouble of making rounds of the Regional Transport Office (RTO)

The drive will be implemented at Dadar’s Kirti college from January 16 and the dates for other colleges will be announced subsequently.

According to a press statement, the transport department is initiating this drive to change the perception of government agencies.

In most cases, since students’ first interaction with a government agency is while getting their driving license, the involvement of corrupt middlemen often leads them to generalize and form a misconception about the transport department as well, the statement says.

“To shorten the lengthy process, which involves numerous applications and queues, we will give the licences in college itself. Students will have to get their Aadhaar cards and other necessary documents for application. They will also have to give a test on traffic rules,” Raote said.

The students, however, will have to approach the RTO to give driving test and acquire their permanent driving license.

Even as the department continues to prepare a standard implementation process for colleges, the decision has reportedly received flak from some transport officials, who feel this will create additional burden on the short-staffed department.

The transport department is also switching to a new web-based system, SARATHI 4.0, which allows people to fill an online form, upload the necessary documents and make payments online. The system is touted to reduce the dependence on agents.