The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India Limited has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Department of Transport, NCT of Delhi to set up 12 state-of-the-art 'Automated Driving Test Centres' across the capital. While Maruti will set up these centres and maintain them for the first three years, the Transport Department will conduct the tests and issue driving licenses to eligible applicants. The first such centre will be inaugurated in January next year, while the rest will be fully operational from June, 2018.
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Moreover, Maruti Suzuki will invest Rs. 15 crore to set up these centres comprising of scientifically laid driving test tracks, advanced high definition cameras and an integrated IT system, as approved by the Transport Department. What it means is that, while driving skills of the applicant was checked manually till now, these new automated driving test centres will use advanced video analytic technology to test the applicants. No official is required to be present during these tests.
Kailash Gahlot, Transport Minister of NCT said, "The tracks equipped with cameras and sensors will cost around Rs. 1 crore each and will be spread, on an average, across one acre land. The first automated track is expected to be launched around January 26 next year at Saray Kale Khan."
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The Centres will be set up in phases, and handed over to the Transport Department. The commissioning of the Centres and their operation will be decided by the Transport Department. In the first phase, these automated driving test centres will be set up at Hauz Khas, Shakur Basti, Raja Garden, Hari Nagar, Burari, Loni Road, Sarai Kale Khan, Rohini, Jharoda Kalan, Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Surajmal Vihar and Dwarka.
