Nearly 9,000 people failed Chandigarh driving test this year

The pass percentage of four-wheeler drivers was almost 50 per cent, while the corresponding percentage for scooter or motorcycle riders was 84 per cent.

Pradyuman Singh, Director (Transport), Chandigarh, told The Indian Express that the driving test in Chandigarh is “the toughest with international standards”.

“Our sole aim is to produce quality drivers. This is why we have kept our driving test as per the international standards. Chandigarh also has roundabouts, and one needs to know how to manoeuvre around them. The driving track has been made and designed scientifically by the Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune, which is the authorised agency for the same,” he said.

Singh added that many tend to lose at the gradient point as well. “At the gradient point, which is a raised platform, many tend to lose balance, and the moment the vehicle goes backwards, the person taking the test is disqualified,” he remarked.

The test

RLA officials said most candidates flunk the test while negotiating ‘reverse direction’. The applicant is tested for standard direction, kerb hit, and time taken on the track.

Also, most cannot control the car near a gradient and a hairpin bend. With the hairpin bend, the applicant is tested for not stopping, reversing and hitting the kerb. Similarly, at the gradient point, it is seen whether the vehicle moves forward without rolling back beyond the permissible limit, they said.

A sizable chunk of candidates also fail for not being able to take a U-turn as per norms, followed by those applicants who cannot manage their vehicle at the roundabout.