- I Paid A Bribe
- 14 years ago
- 3908 views
Driving schools rule!
- Transport
- New Domestic Driving License
- Paid INR 100
I recently attended a driving school (M Motors) to learn how to drive and I was told initially that the school would help me get my license. At the beginning of the course, the driving school took me to the RTO (Koramangalla). I noticed that the whole place was run by driving schools. In the first counter, an RTO official checked my identity proof and let me proceed to register myself at another counter. As part of this "registration", I had to fill in my details in a long book (register). This filling in of details was handled by staff of various driving schools on what seemed like a rotation basis. Apart from the initial checking of identity proof and the final theory test, almost all procedures, enquiries, etc seemed to be handled by driving schools. Although surprised to see this system, I didn't complain as I didn't have to pay any bribe or go through any trouble, except for the long wait. I didn't know the driving license test would not be so simple At the end of the ten day course, I was given a photocopy of my learner's license. I paid my trainer Rs. 200 as a tip when he insisted I give him "gurudakshina". At the end of the month, I appeared at the driving school to have my driving test. Once we were given the original learner's licenses and application forms, filled by the driving school, we left for the RTO. A few blocks from the RTO, there was a gathering of many people, all apparently candidates for DLs. We waited for our turns. When I eventually got my turn, I was asked to drive a car (owned by M Motors) with an RTO official in it. The RTO official seemed unnecessarily lenient to students, changing gears handing the clutch, etc for the students who struggled. I drove a few meters in a gully and turned when the official asked me to. As soon as I took the turn, he asked me to stop on the side of the road and signed my application. As I imagined that I had passed the test, I started walking towards the RTO. The M Motors employee (who drove us to the RTO) was quick to stop me and asked me what the hurry was, saying he'd drive all of us there. I sat in the jeep that he had pointed towards and waited for him to finish his work. When he was back, he called me out of the car and asked me to show him my application. He put a pen on a line that said "the applicant has failed the test" and told me in Hindi to give him some money to make me pass the exam. I looked at him for a few seconds before he said that he'll fail me if I don't pay the money. I took my wallet out and was pulling out a Rs. 10 note, when another employee of the driving school whispered into my ears that he will not be happy with ten, and I need to give him hundred rupees. Not knowing what to do, I gave him a hundred rupee note. He made some remarks on the application to make me pass. Clearly in collusion with the RTO officials, who should have made these remarks and crossed out the bullet points about the candidate failing the test themselves. I then asked some other people whether they had paid any money, and it seemed that everyone from the driving school had paid the same person between 100 and 200 rupees depending on whether they wanted a two wheeler and four wheeler license, or just a four wheeler license. I was very disappointed that I had to pay an employee of the driving school to get a license. Although I knew that RTOs are generally very corrupt places in Bangalore, I was told that driving schools generally handle the RTO officials themselves and I needn't worry about having to pay bribes. I didn't know that the driving school itself had employees demanding bribes. I am extremely disgusted by what I saw at the RTO.