Srinagar, July 10: Driving test aspirants in Kupwara district Thursday expressed serious concern over the continued non-availability of slots for the mandatory driving test, leaving many frustrated. The learners, who have been waiting for weeks, said they are unable to get a booking for the driving test despite applying well in advance. They fear their learner’s licenses may expire before they get a chance to take the test, forcing them to start the entire process all over again.Adil Bashir, a driving license aspirant from Handwara, told Rising Kashmir that he had applied for the learner’s license a month ago, and is now stuck due to the complete unavailability of test slots. “There are no slots available for the next 60 days, and my learner’s license will expire before that. Then I will have to spend more time and money again just to reapply for the learner’s license,” he said. Adil questioned the apparent lack of transparency in the booking process, adding, “We don’t understand what is happening and why there are no slots available. If a slot appears once a week, it vanishes within seconds. It looks like everything is fixed.”Nadeem Bhat, a JKSSB aspirant from Kupwara, said the delays are affecting more than just the driving process. “Every day I am wasting so much time just trying to get a chance to book a slot. I have exams coming up, and this is draining my time and energy,” he said. Nadeem added that the system needs to be made more transparent and applicant-friendly.Another aspirant, Iqra Jan from Trehgam, expressed her frustration at the unnecessarily complicated process. “You have to keep checking again and again, often late at night or early morning. It is mentally exhausting,” she said.Similar concerns are rasied by other aspirants who said they had been waiting from long time for a chance to take the test, but the constant unavailability had left them disheartened. Some said they had even given up on trying to book slots, claiming the system feels rigged and inaccessible to the common person. “We have no lessons available, no test slots open, and no clarity on when things will improve. When that’s the case, many are left with no option but to drive without proper licensing,” one aspirant said, highlighting a dangerous consequence of the delays.The affected learners have sought immediate attention from the Transport Minister and the Commissioner Secretary of the Transport Department, urging them to intervene and resolve the issue. They stressed that the unavailability of test slots not only wastes time and money for common citizens but also puts road safety at risk. “If the government is not in a position to provide timely test slots, how can they expect everyone to follow the law and drive with proper licensing?” asked another aspirant, pointing out the contradiction in the system’s expectations versus its delivery.Despite repeated attempts, the Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO) Kupwara was unavailable for comment at the time of filing this report.
