RTOs asked to 'review' vehicle inspectors' work if less than 10 pc licence seekers fail driving test

Mumbai, Dec 11 (PTI) The Maharashtra Transport Commissioner has issued a new set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), in which Regional Transport Office (RTO) authorities have been asked to undertake a "review" of the motor vehicle inspectors' work if less than 10 per cent of permanent licence seekers failed in the driving tests.

Several incumbent and former officers, however, raised question marks over the 10 per cent failure criteria, calling it the directive as "strange" and "unjustified", and said the transport department should focus more on improving the quality of infrastructure required to conduct driving tests at the RTOs, and providing basic facilities.

In this set of SOPs issued on December 3, Transport Commissioner Vivek Bhimanwar also directed all the RTOs to examine the driving skills of permanent licence seekers "strictly" as per the procedure set in the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989 to bring out "skilled drivers" for enhancing road safety.

In the SOPs, the transport commissioner said the department was in the process of setting up modern Automated Driving Test Tracks (ADTTs) across the state to standardise and improve the quality of driving tests.

As these tracks will take time to become fully operational, RTOs till then have been instructed to enforce stricter and uniform testing procedures, it said.

The SOPs, brought with an aim to improve road safety and minimise accidents due to drivers' error, also mandates use of online appointment system, presence of designated inspector of motor vehicles (IMVs) during tests, and CCTV monitoring of testing locations, among other things.

"For preparing quality and skilled drivers from the viewpoint of road safety, while issuing licences, the office must ensure that applicants for the permanent licence test are strictly examined as per the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989," reads the SOP document.

More than 80 per cent of road accidents are linked to drivers' error, emphasising the need for rigorous testing standards, it said.

"Among the accidents occurring on the roads, it has been seen that more than 80 per cent of the accidents are due to the reckless attitude and negligence of the vehicle driver," reads the SOP.

During the current calendar year, Maharashtra has reported 26,922 road accidents and 11,532 fatalities till September 30. As compared to the same period in 2024, road accidents have gone up by 0.8 per cent from 26,719, while fatalities have marginally declined by 0.4 per cent from 11,573.

The SOPs also directed the concerned RTO and deputy RTO to review the work of the IMVs if the failure percentage of licence seekers is less than 10 per cent.

Some retired RTO officers, however, pointed out that in the SOPs, the transport commissioner has indirectly hinted that an IMV will have to fail at least 10 candidates, in the absence of which they will be under scrutiny.

A retired officer of Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Department (MMVD) said that the directive about failing at least 10 per cent candidates is not only "strange", but also "unjustified" as such directives can be given orally, but not in writing.

"At the most, such a directive can be given orally but how can it be given in writing. You cannot fail somebody, because you want to do so," he told PTI.

An IMV, who did not wish to be named, said there is no infrastructure available that is required for conducting tests as per the procedure set in Rule 15 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, which the transport commissioner asked them to follow strictly.

The officer said that ideally the transport commissioner should have focused on the quality of the driving test instead of indirectly telling senior officers at RTOs to take action against the IMV and assistant IMV if they do not fail more than 10 per cent of candidates appearing for the driving tests.

"If the 10 per cent failure criteria is applied, then the question arises why not 5 per cent or 15 per cent. Actually, they should insist on the quality of (driving) tests," the IMV said, adding that adequate infrastructure and facilities should be provided at the testing ground.

According to IMVs and AIMVs, there are very small testing grounds for conducting driving tests at most of the RTOs in the state. At some RTOs, these tests are conducted on roads. Neither proper facilities are provided to the officers nor to candidates appearing for the driving tests. At many places, basic facilities like water and toilets are also lacking.

In the SOPs, the transport commissioner has asked the RTOs to get CCTVs installed at every driving test ground within a month, using either District Planning Development Council funds, Road Safety Fund or funds available at the office level.

Some IMV officers, however, pointed out that at several offices, the driving tests are conducted on open ground or on public roads outside their office premises and at RTO camps in rural parts of the state. At such places, how will the CCTV cameras be installed and who would ensure if they remain functional or not.

A staggering 95,722 people have been killed in road accidents in Maharashtra between January 2019 and September 2025, underscoring the scale of a crisis that shows little sign of slowing, official data shows. PTI KK NP