TIRUCHY: Getting a driving licence in Tiruchy is about to become a lot smarter and fairer. The district is set to get its first automated driving test track within three months at the Tiruchy West Regional Transport Office (RTO), ushering in technology to make the testing process more transparent, standardised, and free from human bias.
The initiative is part of a state-wide project to modernise the transport department, following an MoU signed on October 15 between the Tamil Nadu government and Maruti Suzuki Pvt Ltd.
Under the agreement, 10 automated test tracks will be developed across the state, including at Marthandam, Tirunelveli, Coimbatore (Central), Madurai (North), Tuticorin, Krishnagiri, Dindigul, Tiruvannamalai, Sivagangai, and Tiruchy (West).
Transport officials said the upcoming track will be equipped with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Harnessing Automobiles for Safety (HAMS) sensors, supported by video analytics to automatically assess the driving skills.
"The tender was already released a few days ago. Within a month, the land will be levelled, and sensors will be installed along the track once the work order is issued," a senior official said.
The automated track will test two-wheelers and light motor vehicles without the need for examiners, thereby reducing manpower requirements and eliminating subjective evaluation. Heavy vehicles, however, will continue with the traditional testing method, officials added.
Maruti Suzuki, which is partnering on the project, has already established 45 automated driving test tracks across India -17 in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in Delhi, seven in Bihar, four in Uttarakhand, two in Haryana, and one in Jammu and Kashmir.
The company also signed an agreement in August 2025 to set up 21 more facilities in Rajasthan. With Tamil Nadu's 10 upcoming tracks, the total number of automated driving test facilities across India will rise to 76, marking a major step towards digitised, transparent, and bias-free licence testing.