THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Motor Vehicle Department's (MVD) bizarre reform to limit the number of driving tests to 50 per day was withdrawn following a massive protest. The directive issued on Wednesday night was withdrawn at 11.30 yesterday morning. Driving tests will continue from 8 am to 5 pm.

The decision was withdrawn following the intervention of the Chief Minister's office which felt that the reform might affect LDF's performance in the upcoming elections. The MVD had earlier claimed that the number of tests was being reduced to increase the standard of driving tests.

At present, 180 people appear for the driving test in district centres, 120 in taluk centres and 60 in sub-centres in a day. The MVD decided to initially cut this number to 50 and subsequently to 30. There are 80 locations where driving tests are held four days a week.

All those who received prior notification arrived yesterday morning at centres across Kerala. They came to know about the new reform only when officials told them that only the first 50 people in the queue would be allowed to take the test. This led to protests. Following this, the driving test was interrupted. Things got out of hand when those running driving schools and political activists joined in.

Officials had to seek the help of the police in many places. Police resorted to lathi charge in Malappuram. In Kollam, there was a scuffle between the officials and those who came for the test. In Muttathara in Thiruvananthapuram, a housewife who came with her daughter collapsed. Driving School Owners' Committee burnt the effigy of Minister Ganesh Kumar in Alappuzha and Kozhikode.

As the protest spread across the state, the minister directed the MVD to allow all those who did spot bookings to take the driving test. The minister said that someone had leaked the proposal made in the officials' meeting to the media and action would be taken after an investigation. In any case, the driving exam began at almost 11.30 am instead of the scheduled 8 am start time. The test was open to everyone who showed up.