Delhi’s driving test tracks set for slew of reforms

The Delhi state transport department is rolling out a plan aimed at improving services at its automated driving test tracks by introducing an electronic queue management system, increasing operation timings, allowing people to take driving tests on all days of the week, and reducing human intervention in the testing process

The Delhi state transport department is rolling out a plan aimed at improving services at its automated driving test tracks by introducing an electronic queue management system, increasing operation timings, allowing people to take driving tests on all days of the week, and reducing human intervention in the testing process.

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The department floated a tender on Thursday to outsource the operation and maintenance of all ADTTs in the city, transport minister Kailash Gahlot said.

“The idea is to offer a comfortable experience to applicants who visit our regional transport offices (RTOs) to give driving tests for a permanent driving licence (DL),” said Gahlot.

“To give an example, the experience will be similar to what one witnesses during visa application for countries like the UK or Japan. Currently, the entire driving test system is manned by our own government officials, which leads to a lag in service delivery as the demand is high and the manpower scarce. So, outsourcing the job will help address all these issues, while simultaneously ensuring that the quality of the service offered to customers is premium,” said the state transport minister.

Three years after the Delhi government introduced the city’s first ADTT in 2018, such tracks are operational in 10 locations.

The tender document, a copy of which was seen by HT, states that the operation hours during which driving tests will have to be conducted will be from 8am to 8pm -- a 12-hour window against the seven-hour window, from 9am-4pm, currently in place for an applicant to take the driving test. It also says that driving tests will be conducted on all days of the week, instead of six days.

The system is likely to be put in place in three months, once the tender process is complete, officials said.

Ashish Kundra, Delhi’s transport commissioner, said that some of the operational tracks conduct tests for two-wheelers and four-wheelers sequentially. He said that, under the new system, the number of tests conducted in a single day will also increase as multiple applicants will be assessed parallelly on different tracks in a single centre.

“Our automated test tracks have already reduced human intervention and the subsequent requirement of manpower. The test results are now given immediately without any scope of manipulation. But the existing operational hours and days limit the number of people who can take the test in a day. The idea is to further remove manual intervention and create a system where the transport department only has to play a supervisory role. Once appointed, the company will have to supply trained manpower for managing the driving licence test services and maintenance of hardware and equipment at the sites,” said Kundra.

He said special focus will also be given to ensure people do not have to wait long at the centre for the test.

“The applicants of DL skill tests will file online applications. The facilitation/DL test executives (two at each centre), will receive the applicants and will verify the documents as per the Department’s instructions; The applicants... will be taken to the test site in batches on their turn. They will be escorted to the test site by the site manager. The applicants will be entertained using the EQMS system and no candidate will need to stand in a queue. The DL test engineer (one at each site) will ensure that the tests are taken by automated software and he will be responsible to hand over the computerised results to the MLO/MVI. He will also ensure the compliance of other provisions of CMVR i.e. seat belt, rear view mirror etc,” said the tender document.

The project will first be rolled out from ADTTs at Loni road, Rohini, Shakur Basti, Janakpuri, Sarai Kale Khan and Raja Garden. For other sites, the 12-hour shift will be decided by the transport department based on the volume of applications.

Reshma Juneja (24), a consultant, said her recent experience of giving the driving test at the automated track in Mayur Vihar Phase 1 was good. “But I failed the test. I think practice is important because now in Delhi driving test is not like old times when the government official would pass your test even if you’ve performed miserably. It’s all sensor based now. I had to wait quite a bit for my turn to come, I hope with the new system that you’re taking about, this improves,” she said.

Ravindra Kumar, senior principal scientist, transportation planning and environment division, CRRI said the government should also bring in other driver’s learning infrastructure to become holistic in its approach. “Simulators are important. The government should also bring in simulators in some of its centres to prep the applicants. It should also empanel a set of authorised driving schools and create a set of guidelines which need to be followed by such institutions as then it will help ensure all driving and traffic rules are imparted correctly and inculcated in all the learner’s,” he said.

Delhi currently has 11 ADTTs, and another track being constructed in Hari Nagar will be ready by next January. The transport department is in talks with Maruti, which owns two automated tracks, and Ashok Leyland, which owns one, to use their centres for driving licence tests.

The first automated driving test track was built at Sarai Kale Khan in February 2018.