NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is set to add eight new automated driving test tracks that would help reduce the waiting time for appointments.
The sites that have been identified are Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) at Jail Road, Pusa Road, Mayur Vihar, Shahdara, Narela and Jafarpur Kalan; Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) at Kashmere Gate; and Delhi Technological University (DTU) in Rohini.
According to transport minister Kailash Gahlot, while the six new facilities at ITIs will be ready for operation in the next two to four months, development of the tracks at DTU and IGDTUW is currently in the planning phase.
“With the latest addition, the total number of automated tracks in Delhi for driving tests would go up to 24. The waiting time to get an appointment for a test to get a permanent driving licence would be significantly reduced in the capital,” said Gahlot.
“The automatic tracks test the drivers’ skills on various parameters, which ensures that only trained people get licences and our roads are safer,” he added.
The civil work is almost complete in the six tracks at ITIs and only cameras need to be installed.
Another official said the tracks would be designed to evaluate the driving skills of applicants for both two-wheelers and four-wheelers separately. “These scientifically engineered test tracks assess various driving abilities, including reverse parallel parking, negotiating up-gradients, manoeuvring reverse-S patterns, applying emergency brakes and riding on ramps,” he said.
To ensure accuracy and impartiality, high-definition cameras are being installed along the tracks, capturing every moment of the test without any human intervention, the official added.
On an average, 150-170 tests are held daily at automated tracks in the city, specifically at facilities that operate only during the day. However, at test centres that provide both day and night facilities, the number of tests conducted goes up to 180-210 daily. Currently, night test facilities are available at tracks only at three locations- Mayur Vihar, Shakur Basti and Vishwas Nagar.
A senior official said the new tracks at educational institutions are expected to reduce the load on existing ones and make it easier for people, especially working professionals, to appear for the tests.
“At busier places like Mayur Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan, the waiting time is sometimes a week and with new vehicles added on the roads, it might have increased further. But the new tracks will cater to the increased load,” he said.
At present, the test tracks are located in Burari, Dwarka Sector 22, Hari Nagar, Jharoda Kalan, Lado Sarai, Mayur Vihar, Raja Garden, Rohini Sector 28, Vishwas Nagar, Wazirpur, Shakur Basti, Sarai Kale Khan, Loni Road and Burari Viu.
