Driving tests postponed once more as Sarathi website experiences technical issues

Those who came to get their licenses on Thursday feeling relieved that the dispute between driving school students and the Department of Motor Vehicles had been resolved, returned disappointed. This time, the Sarathi software for driving services is down. The software, which faced frequent technical problems, has been suspended for maintenance this time.

It will start working only from 10 am on Saturday. It has been said that the driving test will return to its original working condition only from May 20. Officials took the list of those who were cleared for the license test from Sarathi Software. As this was not available, the test was stopped. It's been considered to allow the candidates who have already taken the printout to take the test.

Tests were not conducted in most offices on Thursday. The suggestion that the authorized trainers should bring the learners to the ground also led to the non-cooperation of the driving school students. The minister made it a requirement that the trainers themselves should come with the learners. INTUC and CITU approached Minister Ganesh Kumar seeking relaxation.

Most driving schools only have certified instructors on the books. They present their documents, only operating licenses, and other trainers would be taking the classes. Authorized trainers will be on-site only when officials arrive for inspection. The driving school organizations are in the process of resolving the problem amicably as they will not get the support of the general public if they protest against this.