My Experience Getting a Driving License at Krishnarajapura RTO (KA-53): Bribes

TLDR; Applied for a driving license at Krishnarajapura RTO (KA-53). First attempt in November failed due to an impossible test setup in an underground parking lot. On my second attempt in December, I realized the proper open-ground tests were reserved for driving school applicants. Gave in to the system, paid a ₹1,500 bribe via a printing shop contact, and was allowed to give the test as a formality in the open ground. Finally got my license in January. Frustrating experience with inefficiency and bribery. Story: Last year, around October, I applied for my driving license and eventually the day came where I had to give driving test as last step. The RTO was "Regional Transport Office, Krishnarajapura, KA-53" Before applying for learner license, I tried reading (Quora and Maps) reviews of the RTO and there was no mention of any kind of bribery, so went ahead of applied. But I had read that DL test happen in an open ground, bit far from the RTO. On my first try for DL test (November), Along with one of my roommate, who also had applied for license, we went to RTO, got our bio-metrics done. And we have to proceed to submit our payment details, this is present in 1st floor. There that guy mentioned, we need few more documents to be printed, (these documents were not required, but still we compliment), he directed us to printing shop behind the RTO. We went over to printing shop, got the document printed, but while giving us document back, they wrapped the those print out in a brown folder. We came to RTO, to same guy before from 1st floor, he mentioned all document to be in place and directed as to ground floor again where we had to do entry of our name and vehicle number, we did. And we were asked to get our bikes to underground parking lot. We asked him, why underground parking lot, we have read there is another ground where the test happens, he mentioned, it is for morning slots only, for afternoon, the tests happen in underground parking. We took our bike and went to the underground parking where test was happening. As soon as I saw the circuit, I am doomed. Let me describe it for you, 4 cones where placed with gap of 1 meter, there are bikes been parked on either side and at the end of 4th cone there very little space left to do a 180 degree turn. The test was meant to be failed. I could see, no one was able complete the circuit. And then my turn came, and fate would have it, my bike stalled, me who have been driving that bike for past 3 year, stalled. I could not complete the 180 degree turn without having to back my bike. Felt complete noob. Similar thing happened with my roommate, at least. his bike did not stall, but he could not complete the 180 degree turn, he also had to back up his bike and complete it. Evidently we failed the test. Comes my second try for DL test (December), my roommate gave up and gets his DL done from native place. I still have my hopes up. But this time, my allotted time was in afternoon, I go in early to open ground where test was happing along with my brown folder. One of the RTO officer saw my brown folder, and said for the online booking, this is not the place for test, for me the test will happen in RTO parking lot. So I told him the test over there is not passable, so he laughed and said yes yes and told me to go away, as the test in the ground are for people who come from driving schools. So I come back to RTO, same process, bio metrics, 1st floor, and note down vehicle number. There is where I meet a guy, who also mentioned that parking lot test is not passable. I agreed. He suggested to catch hold of someone from print shop, as they might have connection. We both went to shop, asked if its possible for a bribe. He asked for 2k, then settled for 1.5k for both. He told us to get our bikes to that open ground and there we will be meet a guy. Before leaving, he took our brown folder, and gave another folder with this color: [https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/content/images/2021/10/golang.png](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/content/images/2021/10/golang.png) (I am not sure which color is this, maybe sky blue??), with few document in it. We took our bike, meet the guy, gave our test as a formality, which was not required as per the guy we meet. The guy mentioned, we will get our license in a month. And its been a month (January), just got my license.