VIJAYAWADA: After much dilly-dally, the transport department is initiating steps to automate the driving test tracks by January next year. At present, the department has driving test tracks in all the district headquarters, where testing is done manually.
“Almost two years ago, the then State government had requested the Centre to send funds for the automation of driving tracks across the State. Considering the plea, the Centre had approved of the project and sanctioned `1 crore per track. Due to various reasons, the project remained on papers,” Additional Transport Commissioner P Srinivasa Rao said. He added, “Now, in a recent meeting, Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah has asked the higher authorities to realise the project at the earliest.”
The new scientific driving tracks will be equipped with sensors and CCTV cameras will be installed near the tracks. Motor vehicle inspectors (MVIs), who usually monitor the driving skills of the aspirants would no longer require to be present near the driving tracks. “In the new initiative, the MVIs can watch the aspirants from their office.
The devices will alert them as soon as the aspirant enters the track with a vehicle. The sensors on the track will make a beep sound if any faults are detected and the officials can also view the footage. Marks will be deducted if the learners commit mistakes and evaluation will be done automatically by the software,” Srinivasa Rao said. Tenders in this regard were recently invited by the officials concerned and the project will be taken up in nine district headquarters across the State soon.