THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) has uncovered numerous irregularities during raids conducted at selected licence testing grounds of the Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) and driving schools across the state.
These raids were initiated based on tip-offs received by the VACB, indicating the presence of corrupt practices in the issuance of driving licences and the functioning of driving schools. The operations covered 60 testing grounds and approximately 170 driving schools.
In specific locations such as Perambra in Kozhikode and Thottada in Kannur, driving tests were conducted without any MVD officials present. In Chittumoola, Karunagapally, a single MVD official was conducting tests for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers. Meanwhile, in Varkala, Thiruvananthapuram, tests were conducted on private land, and fees were collected from applicants. Similarly, driving schools in Mamoodu, Pathanapuram, paid rent for the private testing ground.
The VACB also discovered that certain MVD officials deliberately conducted driving tests without video recording the proceedings, a violation of rules. In 49 out of the 60 testing grounds, cameras were found to be non-functional. Additionally, several driving schools were found to have untrained instructors. While the schools used documents of certified instructors, individuals without the necessary qualifications were observed teaching students.
Specific instances of misconduct were found during the investigation. For instance, in a driving school in Tripunithura, the listed instructor had been working in a Gulf country for the past 10 months. At another driving school in Kannur South Bazar, the licence of the school was found to have expired, but it continued to operate. In Sulthan Bathery, the driving school was employing instructors without licenses.
In Kottayam, it was discovered that the spouse of an Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector was running a driving school. In Ranni, irregularities were detected in the two-wheelers used for conducting tests.