To help drivers polish skill, Delhi govt to likely share video of failed driving test

“We have received feedback from several regional transport offices (RTOs) that test takers often seek a copy of their video. It is mostly to understand where they went wrong, so they can improve their driving skills. Hence, we are looking at a system in which the driving test video of the applicant is sent to him/her maybe via Whatsapp. It is still in the pipeline,” said a senior transport official.

New Delhi: People who fail in their driving tests in Delhi could soon get access to the video of their performance to improve their skills, in view of the higher failure rate on city’s automated test tracks, senior government officials said on Saturday.

Results of the first one year of the automated tracks, accessed by HT, showed that at least 48.91% applicants failed the driving test at the three tracks that were opened by July 2019. Before the automated tests were introduced at the three centres, the rate of failed applicants was only 16.24%, records showed. (Mohd Zakir/HT PHOTO)

The state transport department is working on a project to provide permanent driving licence (DL) applicants a video of their driving test, in case they fail. “We have received feedback from several regional transport offices (RTOs) that test takers often seek a copy of their video. It is mostly to understand where they went wrong, so they can improve their driving skills. Hence, we are looking at a system in which the driving test video of the applicant is sent to him/her maybe via Whatsapp. It is still in the pipeline,” said a senior transport official.

“In accordance with court orders, every driving test for a permanent licence is videographed in Delhi. So, we are checking the legality of making it available to the applicant. Also, the service could also be introduced strictly as an on-request facility,” a second official said.

Results of the first one year of the automated tracks, accessed by HT, showed that at least 48.91% applicants failed the driving test at the three tracks that were opened by July 2019. Before the automated tests were introduced at the three centres, the rate of failed applicants was only 16.24%, records showed.

The Delhi government introduced the city’s first automated driving test track (ADTT) in February 2018. By now, the state transport department has made automated tracks operational in 10 locations. An applicant is marked on 24 skill sets on these automated test tracks, which have 10 different track patterns – seven for four wheelers and three for two-wheelers. An applicant needs to reverse their car on S-shaped tracks, drive uphill and also swerve at bends shaped like an ‘8’. The driver is also judged on their behaviour as there are separate tracks to test decisions on overtaking and at traffic junctions.

In December 2020, transport minister Kailash Gahlot reviewed the performance of these tracks. He said it was found that many are failing the driving tests on the automated test tracks despite having good driving skills because of the sensors and cameras being “over sensitive”. The transport department was asked to check the entire system of the operational automated test tracks and also revisit videos of those who have failed the tests to understand the problems better.

Before these automated tracks were introduced, driving tests were conducted on the main road with usual traffic, where an applicant had to drive straight for less than a kilometre while being supervised by a motor licencing inspector. The test result was totally at the discretion of the licencing officer. Now, the licencing officer oversees the test, take a print-out of the result and sign it.