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:
- Clear the written/online test
- 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.
