Stricter rules & longer waits: Fewer getting driving licences
This downward trend is also prompting many applicants to cross the border to obtain their licences from places like Nagercoil in Tamil Nadu, where procedures are reportedly simpler.
According to data from the motor vehicles department, the number of licences issued in the district dropped from 74,038 in 2021–22 to 67,207 in 2022–23, marking a 9.2% decrease. The figure fell further to 57,840 in 2023–24 and plunged to just 37,638 in 2024–25 — a 34.9% drop from the previous year and a cumulative decline of 49.2% from 2021–22.
Officials said changes in testing strategy are behind the trend. "The number of daily slots for driving tests at each RTO was reduced from 180 to 120 to focus on achieving greater perfection in driving," explained an officer at the Thiruvananthapuram RTO. "Consequently, the pass percentage has dropped from 80-85% to below 50% with the implementation of stricter rules. This has resulted in longer waiting periods for applicants and a lower probability of passing, compelling many to travel to the Nagercoil RTO to obtain a license more easily.
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Though exact numbers are unavailable, Nagercoil RTO officials said there has been a noticeable rise in applications from Thiruvananthapuram. Officials in Thiruvananthapuram also confirmed the trend.
In 2023–24, the revenue from driving licences stood at over Rs 10 crore, but it dropped to under Rs 9 crore in 2024–25. Applications, too, fell to 75,276 last year, down from over one lakh in the previous year.
Amal Mahesh, a 20-year-old resident of Kunnukuzhy, is among those who opted to go to Tamil Nadu. "I failed the driving test four times here, and each time I had to wait for months and pay extra to reschedule. At Nagercoil, I got my licence within two months without much trouble," he said.
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