TIRUCHY: With the installation of signboards and fencing around the track alone pending, the automated driving testing track at the Tiruchy West Regional Transport Office (RTO), which will enable driving licence tests to be conducted without manual evaluation, is expected to be opened this month itself, transport department officials said. Meanwhile, making visits to the facility to familiarise themselves with the changes, driving school tutors in the city express doubts of the tests, particularly for car drivers, turning more demanding.
As part of the pilot project for state-wide modernisation following an MoU signed between the Tamil Nadu government and Maruti Suzuki India Limited on October 15, 2025, Tiruchy is among the 10 locations across the state where an automated driving testing track is being set up. On the testing facility, a technician at the site in Tiruchy said the track has been fitted with 26 high-powered cameras installed at different heights to comprehensively monitor vehicle movement. In addition, RFID sensors have been embedded along the track to precisely detect deviations from the prescribed path. “Near the kerb, there are two demarcations - a warning line and a fault line. The sensors accurately record how many times a vehicle touches these lines,” the technician explained.
Each test vehicle will be fitted with an RFID tag and candidates will be issued individual tags linked to their learner’s licence (LLR) record. The vehicle ignition will activate only after physical verification and data authentication based on information provided in the LLR, officials said. The automated track includes a serpentine course for two-wheeler licence applicants, along with a gradient track, H-track and a dedicated parking track for four-wheelers.
The system will conduct driving tests for two-wheelers and light motor vehicles without the presence of examiners, thereby eliminating subjective assessment. T Rahim, a tutor at a popular driving school in Tiruchy, said the new system would be particularly challenging for car licence applicants. “Candidates must first clear the gradient test without allowing the car to roll back. In the H-track, they must move forward and reverse accurately on both sides before proceeding to reverse parking. These steps were not strictly enforced earlier,” he said.
Another tutor, M Thangaraj, pointed out that all manoeuvres must now be completed within a stipulated time of around three minutes. “With clearly demarcated sensors, traffic signals along the track and a compulsory gradient test, there is no scope for adjustments or leniency,” he said. When enquired, a transport official told TNIE that the government plans to open the first five automated tracks in the state within this month, with full-scale testing expected to begin by March.