DRIVING TEST SENSORED

DRIVING TEST SENSORED
The city will soon have a state-of-the-art Automated Vehicle Driving Testing Track for issuing fool-proof driving licences
DEBI PRASAD SARANGI


Your driving test just got automated, which of course is not saying that it has become any easier! The city will soon see the inauguration of the Automated Vehicle Driving Testing Track (electronically controlled with sensors), dubbed the first of its kind in Asia, for both four- and two-wheelers.
Built at a cost of Rs 1.8 crore, it is funded by both the Central and State governments. The track, which is coming up near Ullal, Jnanabharati, off Mysore Road, is the brainchild of Transport Commissioner Bhaskar Rao.
Rao had promised to build this track during a Bangalore Mirror campaign on traffic problems in the city in November 2009 after holding bad drivers responsible for the city's traffic woes.
While he had announced it would be ready in less than a year, it seems to be the one project that the Transport Department will finish ahead of schedule. The automated system will replace the present manual procedure followed for issuing driving licences and will be inaugurated in a couple of weeks.
“We started this project after we received complaints from candidates that our inspectors were failing them intentionally. But we didn't have any evidence to prove them wrong. This track will clear this particular problem as a candidate's driving skills will be tracked by sensors installed under the track, which alerts the control room if someone touches the poles on the track. We can also give them a CD carrying the whole data of the test if they want," Rao said.
Rao said the work on the project, which costs about Rs 1.8 crore, started three months ago. There will be separate tracks and monitoring rooms for four- and two-wheelers. Those looking for a licence for four-wheelers will have to undergo a test of five sequences such as the reverse 'S' test, the up-gradient test, the forward '8' test, the three-point reverse test and the parallel parking test. For a two-wheeler licence, the candidate will have to drive on a serpent line test track.
While these tracks are for light motor vehicles, the department is also planning a similar track for heavy motor vehicles in the future. Union Surface Transport Minister Kamal Nath and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa are expected at the inaugural.
TESTING TIME
FOR FOUR-WHEELERS

• UP-GRADIENT TEST: The driver has to drive the fourwheeler from an upward slope, which has 12 sensors, to track the forward and backward movement of the vehicle. More importantly, the driver will not be allowed to move backward even an inch as the sensors will catch the movements.

• FORWARD '8' TEST: After this, the driver has to drive on an 8-shaped track which has 52 sensors holding as many poles. The driver needs to be careful as he is not allowed to touch these poles. If he touches the pole, it is a sure sign that he is faltering.

• 3-POINT REVERSE TEST:
After driving on the 8-shaped track, the driver will have to park the vehicle on a threepoint reverse test track, which has three sensors.

• PARALLEL PARKING TEST:
The driver has to park the vehicle on a parallel parking track which has seven poles.

• REVERSE 'S' TEST: After completing all the four tests, the driver has to exit the track while driving on reverse gear on an S-shaped track, which has 26 poles connected to sensors.
FOR TWO-WHEELERS

• SERPENT LINE TEST: Twowheeler riders will have to drive on this separate track which has 58 sensors and as many poles.