Beltala: You can now book an appointment online for a driving licence test at the public vehicles department's office in Beltala, based on available slots displayed on the website just like that for passports.

Anyone seeking a learner's licence or a renewal can visit the road transport and highways ministry's website, parivahan.gov.in, and complete the formalities online, a transport department official said. Only the requisite fee has to be paid at the counter till the payment gateway is finalised, the official said.

Once the payment gateway is up and running, everything from submitting the application to paying the fee will be online.

"One has to visit the website and follow the instructions to complete the formalities," a licence division official at the Beltala office said.

"Once the fees are paid at the counter, it would get reflected on the site. The online facility will end the need to fall back on touts to get a driving licence."

Since the pilot project has begun with the Belata office, the online service will be available only to the areas in its jurisdiction for now.

The tentative deadline to replicate the model across all transport offices in the state is July.

A person can book the date and time for an online learner's licence test once the application is complete, an official said. The test has to be taken at the Beltala office, though.

An applicant will have to reach the office on the designated day with his/her application number to take the test, the official said.

The road transport and highways ministry website has a set of more than 400 questions to help one prepare for the test.

Driving schools offer such sets of questions to candidates at a price.

A candidate has to answer 10 questions online. He/she will have to clear at least six to get a learner's licence.

For the final test, one has to provide the learner's licence to proceed with the application. Once the date and time is finalised, the candidate has to take a driving test in the presence of a motor vehicle inspector.

"All other services, including change of address and licence renewal, can now be completed through this website," the official said. "Touts usually charge a hefty fee for each such service."

The Beltala office has around 1.5 million driving licence holders. Since the entire data has been transferred to the national database, everyone is now eligible to use the ministry website for any driving licence-related work.