JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The National Police are rolling out a modified driving test for motorcycle licence applicants in response to criticism that the previous version was too difficult for the general public.
The new test became available on Friday (Aug 4) at some vehicle document registration centres (Samsat) in Daan Mogot, West Jakarta; Tangerang regency and South Tangerang, Banten; and Depok and Bekasi, West Java.
“The new course doesn’t abandon the assessment of safety and driver’s skills,” said Jakarta Police traffic corps director Sr. Comr. Latif Usman on Thursday, as reported by Antara.
The new practical test is held on an S-shaped circuit with a width 2.5 times that of a typical motorcycle. The police have dropped the zigzag, or slalom, driving test, which was considered the most difficult part of the previous examination.
The previous track was only 1.5 times the width of a motorbike. New applicants still have to complete a written test and a driving simulator.
In June, National Police chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo ordered the traffic corps to reevaluate the motorcycle driving test. The test was widely considered unnecessarily difficult, creating a motive for bribery to obtain licences.
Protests against the notorious practical test resurfaced in June when the National Police issued a new rule that applicants had to obtain a certificate from a driving school before acquiring a driving licence.
In response to the ensuing complains, Listyo said the police would fix the practical test if they determined that it was no longer relevant.
Latif of the Jakarta Police traffic corps said he hoped the new test would be easier for the public.
But some are demanding further changes to the test, with one lawmaker pushing to amend the psychological test required to obtain or renew a driver’s licence.
Ahmad Sahroni of the NasDem Party asserted that the psychological test should not be an administrative formality.
“We should look for a more updated approach,” said the vice chair of House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs, human rights and security on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com.
“Involve experts, if necessary.”
