KAKKANAD:It was after a long battle with the district administration and the state government that the Motor Vehicles Department got the sanction to install driving simulator at Kakkanad Civil station. But the sad state is that the motor vehicles department is yet to deliver the project to the people though they have completed the installation and all the interior works nearly six months ago.
Sources said that the unavailability of the Transport Minister and the higher officials of Motor Vehicles Department has been delaying the launch of the Rs 60-lakh project to the people. “Earlier the issue was to find an adequate space for installing the simulator. Though the department had completed the installation by January after resolving all the issues, it has lost interest in its speedy launch. The department has also informed the matter to Transport Commissioner R Sreelekha but she is yet to respond to it,” said an official on condition of anonymity.The driving simulator set up at the Civil station is aimed at helping the licence seekers to enjoy a virtual driving experience without negotiating the hostile city roads. As the original body of the vehicle is used here, the learner will get a real-time experience of driving. Set up in a hall of 800 sq ft area and 15 ft height, it is equipped with digital screen, air conditioned atmosphere and a meeting hall. At present the MVD has two functional simulators in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.
“If the department doesn’t want to start the Centre, then there was no need of all these hype. They had accused the district administration for not allotting the required space. The machinery brought from Hyderabad after spending Rs 38 lakh is in a neglected state,” an official said.When contacted, RTO K M Shaji said that the department is waiting for the Transport Commissioner’s order.
“We have finished all the works of the simulator room. A report in this regard has also been forwarded to the Transport Commissioner and hopefully it can be launched within a few days,” the RTO said. The Transport Commissioner was unavailable for comments.
An Effort that Went Futile
Sources said the unavailability of the Transport Minister and the higher officials of Motor Vehicles Department has been delaying the launch of the Rs 60-lakh project to the people.