Brows raised as driving test conducted on public holiday: Ludhiana

Driving test conducted at the centre near Nehru Rose Garden on a public holiday on Thursday has raised a few eyebrows and put into question the fairness and transparency of the testing process

A recent driving test conducted at the centre near Nehru Rose Garden on a public holiday on Thursday has raised a few eyebrows and put into question the fairness and transparency of the testing process.

Brows raised as driving test conducted on public holiday: Ludhiana (HT FILE)

According to reliable sources, a single driving test took place on Thursday, despite it being a designated holiday. Officials at the centre claim that they obtained permission to work on the holiday in order to clear a backlog of pending tests. However, it was discovered that the government portal did not offer any slot options for booking a driving test on the day.

During a visit to the centre, it was observed that the main gate remained closed when the test was being conducted. Poonam Preet Kaur, secretary of the regional transport authority (RTA), stated that they had opened the office with the motive to clear pending tests, and anyone could come and get their work done.

On being asked about the gates being closed, Kaur said they remained so due to the unavailability of security guards.

Residents turned away

Residents who were unaware of the government holiday visited the centre in hopes of completing their driving-related tasks only to be turned away. A person near the gate did not allow anyone to enter the premises, citing a holiday.

A resident, who did not wish to be named, said he visited the centre to renew a driving licence, but was denied entry.

Ludhiana West legislator Gurpreet Singh Gogi, on contacted, said, “I have also received a complaint that a single test was conducted on a government holiday, which resulted in the office being open for a few hours. I will discuss this matter with the chief secretary.”

Manish Kumar, the state transport commissioner, meanwhile, said, “A request from the Ludhiana office to open the office with the motive to clear the pending tests has been raised. However, I will look into the matter regarding the closure of the gates to the public.”