BANGALORE: Last September, the state transport department inaugurated the electronic test driving track that uses technology to test the capability of a driver and the result is generated electronically.
The electronic test driving track at Mallathahalli under the Jnana Bharathi RTO has spelled doom on the illegal driving schools, who used to give licences without teaching any real driving.
"After the electronic driving test track came up in Jnana Bharti RTO, 40 per cent of the driving schools have moved out of our RTO as they know it is difficult to get a licence here," Jnana Bharathi Regional Transport Officer Syed Shafi Ahmed said. "Driving schools are forced to teach every aspect of driving or else students won't pass," Ahmed added.
Besides, the driving schools, even the applicants have become more diligent about licence issual.
"Now there is no favouritism nor any human interference that can help an applicant, he/she has to rely on their skills," the officer said.
Every month, 2500 people apply for driving licence in the Jnana Bharathi RTO, however, only 60 per cent of them make it.
"Several people look at how difficult the test is and go back to driving class, while a good many fail in the test," Ahmed expalined.
The electronic driving test also has saved the RTO officials from unnecessary arguments as the whole test processor is recorded and if an applicant wants, he/she can get a video CD of the test.
How the system works
The test facility uses electronic sensor technology with two test tracks for motorcycles and five tracks for fourwheelers. While a twowheeler driving licence seeker has to give one test on a zigzag test track, fourwheeler driver has to give five tests one after the other.
The four wheeler applicants has to drive up a gradient without allowing the vehicle to roll back, move on a 8shaped track, parallel park and reverse and park the vehicle and then pass through an Sshaped stretch.
If the driver touches any of the poles on either side of the track, sensors will pass signals to the computer system where it will be recorded and proportionate marks deducted.
Following the driving test, the applicant also has to answer 10 questions, randomly selected from 600 questions, on a touch screen. In the process, the role of the RTO official is the issuance of the certificate based on the test results.