Occupation:
“This is my 15 year in service. A motor vehicle inspector performs multiple tasks. From issuing driving license, registration numbers and fitness certificates to collecting vehicle tax and law enforcement, the motor-vehicle inspector has to perform an array of duties. Appointment to the post is through the Public Service Commission examinations and the basic qualification is a diploma in automobile engineering. An aspirant should also have a driving license to drive all kinds of road vehicles and also be equipped with a year’s workshop experience.
Issuing driving license is an important part of our work and over the years the number of aspirants have grown greatly. If I am taking care of the driving license tests on a given day, I begin by 7 a.m. at the Institute of Driving Training and Research grounds at Chevayur. Thirty days after clearing the learner’s test, 60 allotted candidates come to take the main test on a given day. Since a couple of years, a candidate’s performance is monitored on the computer. The computer decides if the candidate has passed or failed. There are cameras installed around the ‘H’ path on which the test is done. In my initial days, not many women came to take the test. Over time, the number of women taking the test for both two and four wheelers has gone up considerably.
On a given day, out of 60 about 40 would be fresh candidates and 20 those who have failed their last attempt. If a person fails in his first attempt at the ‘H’, he takes another after 14 days and if he fails in that too, a third one is done after the next 14 days. But if he does not clear in the third attempt he has to wait for 60 days before attempting again. It is the older people who often have to take the test over five times to finally get a license. I know people who have got a license after seven attempts. There are those who get really dejected when they fail, but we can do nothing about it. With a driver’s ability to take a clean ‘H’, we are testing the control they have over the vehicle. After they clear the ‘H’, we take them on a road trip and monitor their general awareness about road rules. We have 20-point criteria on which we mark them. We also conduct road safety awareness classes often. Driving license tests are on done on all days except Wednesdays. Wednesday is usually set aside for tax work. The department has also seen a steep rise in the number of registration for new vehicles. If we had about 30-40 new registrations a day earlier, now it is about 200 a day. Accident inspection is also part of our work. In case an accident has caused death, then the motor vehicle inspector (MVI) goes to to inspect the site. If there is more than one death, a joint regional transport officer does the inspection. The vehicle is inspected to find if the accident was caused by mechanical failure or driver negligence. The report is submitted in the court. The office also has to do the job of issuing fitness certificates to vehicles. While private vehicles need to get their fitness certificate renewed after 15 years, others have to do so every year. We also have to deal with tax defaulters. The defaulters are sent demand notice and finally revenue recovery happens.
In the Kozhikode taluk office, the five MVIs and 12 AMVIs split ourselves into two groups. One group takes care of the license, taxation and registration work for three months while the other would be on the field on enforcement duty. While on enforcement duty, we generally nab drivers for over-speeding and speeding through the left. Two-wheeler riders are often the culprits when it comes speeding from the left. In this job, we have our moments of stress. With licensing work now done on the computer, one has to finish all work – entering data, printing and finally despatching the new licenses the same day.”
As told to P. ANIMA
A column on men and women who make Kozhikode what it is.
