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I'm from India and to obtain a Learners License (for driving) is a nightmare if you want to follow a legal way, especially in small cities or towns.

What I mean by legal way is, you need two things to get a license:

  1. Clear the written/online test
  2. Go for Driving test once you've learnt enough within the period of Learns License, so you can finally get a Driving License

These rules will probably change in few months or a year, as a certificate from driving school would be necessary, so you won't need to prove you know how to drive in driving test. But current situation is just like this in my state. Right now, driving school training is not compulsory, so you have to give driving test, at least according to official rules. So, as you can guess, the license fee doesn't cover the driving school fee. That's a separate thing.

Official fee would be around $10 for two wheelers, but they expect us to pay maybe $50.

But there are local agents/vendors nearby the RTO (Regional Transport Office) who charge 5 times more fee than official fee and you don't have to go anywhere. It means, you don't need to clear any test, especially driving test.

All you need is to pay 5 times more money, and you'll get a Driving License (not only Learners License) for most common Vehicle classes like cars, motorcycle and scooters. Even if you don't know how to drive them properly or you don't know some road rules and signs.

Also, you don't have any option to for single class, they will ask you to apply for all classes. For example, if you don't need it for car, they say it's not possible.

I learnt two wheeler 2 years ago, but I'm just stuck at the process of getting license, because I'm so stubborn that I don't want to get a license this way. It's not about money, it's about my confidence. I fear I might never get confidence in driving if I go this way. I would like to do things official way. In bigger cities, there isn't this much corruption. Further, I won't be eligible to advice others in future for driving license related questions and advice. And I don't want that experience.

Another way to say above thing is, I won't have a 'moral right' to question a corrupt system if I, too, follow a corrupt path to obtain a license.

Now, I've been postponing this for a long time just because of this reason. But now I've decided it to do it any way, whatever happens. But I'm already hearing my parents and neighbors commenting, who say go for all classes of vehicles and get a license by paying that much money. It will save your time and effort. I'm just ignoring them so far.

I can't argue with my parents because they are just like other people who don't understand this thing. They say no matter how much you try, you can't fix things. It is the right way. I tried to explain, but they tell me I'm overthinking. Yes I'm overthinking but only for road safety and my values. I don't intend to end corruption in this system, I just want to go the right way even if it takes more time to clear the tests.

However, there is a possibility that no matter how much I try, the circumstances will force me to follow the path of paying more money and get license without driving test. I will worry about that later, but I want to give it a try to see how far I can go and if I could succeed.

Given all that, how do I effectively explain this to my parents, my neighbors and even the clerks in RTO (who wants me to apply and get Driving License for all vehicle classes without driving test)? So they can understand me, understand the any possible risks, support my decision of trying and see the truth myself?

Note: When I say 5 times fee while applying for license illegal way, it would be for the case when I'm applying for only two wheelers class (but only two wheelers is not allowed by agents, usually). It could be even more depending on your location. But it can be lower than 5 times, maybe 2 or 3 times if you apply for 2 wheelers + 4 wheelers. But they usually don't allow you two apply for only two wheelers. They want you to apply for both classes, doesn't matter you want to drive a car or not. So the point is, they charge a lot more money than actual. Which I would roughly say 5 times for my case.

Vikas
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  • Just checking - do you really need both understanding and support? Or is just support enough? That is, would this achieve your goals?: "I want to take the test because of my own personal values and choices. I hope you can support me in this." – Sarov Jul 08 '21 at 13:55
  • @Sarov I'm not sure. But the thing is, if they don't understand it, especially my parents and neighbors, they won't support it. That's what they are doing. Not supporting probably because they don't realize it is a problem. Getting license this way is extremely common here. So they feel this is the "right" way. So I want the support provided they understand it too. If they support me, it'll probably help me move ahead. – Vikas Jul 08 '21 at 14:25
  • I'm wondering how the "official" system that you described is different from the one in the US? In the US, when you want to get a driver's license, you take a written test to obtain your learner's permit. Your learner's permit allows you to practice driving with a qualified driver present. After a set period of time (usually 6 months), you can take your "road test" which is a practical exam. If you pass, then you are given your driver's license for that type of vehicle. There are no other options around this system, although most states let adults skip the 6-month waiting period. – Griffin Jul 08 '21 at 16:24
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    @Griffin yes, it's almost same. Why? – Vikas Jul 08 '21 at 16:58
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    Griffin is asking because in the US, for everyone here, it would be INSANE to spend 5x as much on something that really isn't that much trouble. Everyone here goes through it, pretty much, though yes, we do have schools and such. It's just that no one cares how you get your lisence. Like my neighbors were never invested in the process and I neither asked for nor cared about their support or judgement one way or another. But the US is very different culturally. we are less community minded. – Erin Thursby Jul 08 '21 at 17:14
  • @ErinThursby so do you mean in US too people get license without driving and written tests? – Vikas Jul 08 '21 at 17:17
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    What kind of support do you need? Do you just need moral support, or do you need financial or other support (does someone need to keep driving you around while you work on getting your license)? If only moral support, what level would you be happy with? Do you need them to actually encourage you in doing this, or would you be happy if they just stopped talking about it entirely? – user3067860 Jul 08 '21 at 18:59
  • @Vikas In the UK, you will find it near impossible to bribe the officials. Same in the USA, I believe. What _Does_ happen in the UK is that people hire someone (an experienced driver) to take the test for them. What also happens in the USA is that Indians become victims of scammers who claim they are from immigrations, the person is threatened to be removed from the USA, unless a bribe is paid. And Indians often believe this based on experiences like yours. – gnasher729 Jul 08 '21 at 23:07
  • @Vikas In the UK 95% of the cost is for driving lessons, 5% for the actual tests. If Indian numbers are the same, would you pay 5 times more than the regular test, or 5 times more than driving lessons and test? Paying 5 times the cost of driving lessons in the UK would be sheer madness. – gnasher729 Jul 08 '21 at 23:15
  • @gnasher729 I believe developed countries have fee which cover both driving school training fee and application fee. Here in my case, driving school not necessary (so far), you just clear the driving test. So I believe the official fee is very less here. About $7. – Vikas Jul 08 '21 at 23:44
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    @user3067860 mainly moral support. For example I will go for application submit process today, and they are not stopping me to go but commenting negative thoughts already. Further i might have to visit a few more times to make the clerks forced to accept my application and give license written test chance. – Vikas Jul 08 '21 at 23:47
  • I've edited my question a bit if it helps. – Vikas Jul 08 '21 at 23:58
  • I'm confused. It sounds like you could follow the legal procedure: get a learner's permit, practice with a family member, pass the test. Or you could spend 5x more money to get a (valid???) license but you still wouldn't be ok to drive because you wouldn't know anything. Why wouldn't you just follow the legal procedure? Is it required that you attend a driving school or can you practice with any legal driver? – DaveG Jul 09 '21 at 01:29
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    @DaveG I should have added my past experience. I've tried it once 1 year ago. It didn't work it's not that easy. They give 100s of excuses like they are busy, come tomorrow, being very rude to me, not helping me to tell if there's some fields I missed in my form to fill, etc. Sometimes I feel like you are going to report a crime in police station and you're afraid they might arrest you as a suspect. It's like they indirectly harass you. You continuously need to visit for days. Even after that I don't know what happens. So for all that efforts, I need moral support. – Vikas Jul 09 '21 at 03:30
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    Shaking my head in German. Have mental support and understanding from this internet stranger. Kudos to you for doing the right thing. – Korinna Jul 09 '21 at 08:59
  • @Korinna internet stranger? – Vikas Jul 09 '21 at 09:34
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    How hard is it to travel to a place where the clerks are less corrupt? Congratulations for struggling against corruption, because that IS what you're doing!! – VWFeature Jul 09 '21 at 16:23
  • @Vikas FYI, in the USA in the states I have knowledge for, there is no requirement to take paid driving lessons and fees for a license do not include classes. Most people have a friend or relative teach them, and that is completely legal. I wouldn't spend extra to skip a test, that seems really silly unless they're extraordinarily hard where you are. – Kat Jul 10 '21 at 17:34
  • @Kat oh. So you have to give a driving test while getting license? – Vikas Jul 10 '21 at 18:34
  • @Kat the process for obtaining driving licenses in the US is different from the vast majority of other countries. Taking a written test and lessons from a driving school followed by a practical exam is the norm. Of course, it is also common that a licensed person teaches someone how to drive on the sly (since the amount of lessons typically included in a driving school program only teaches the person how to pass the practical exam) but that's *technically* illegal – Juliana Karasawa Souza Jul 12 '21 at 07:31
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    @Vikas USA process I went through: 1. Pass a written test to get a "learner's permit". 2. With the permit, you may legally drive as long as someone fully licensed is in the passenger seat. Use that permission to have someone teach you. For me, I learned mostly from my father. 3. Pass a written test again, and also pass a driving test, to get your license. The plastic card that documents the license is printed and given to you immediately after the driving test. From arriving to take the tests to leaving with your new license takes around 2 hours or less. – Douglas Jul 14 '21 at 18:40

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