The Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) testing track constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 22.5 lakh inside the campus of the Office of the Joint Transport Commissioner (JTC) on Balasundaram Road in Coimbatore is waiting for commissioning of sensor-linked electronic camera and other electronic gadgets, including the software, for nearly three years.
The track was constructed for the purpose of computerised recording of the tests through the censor-linked electronic camera. Recording is done on a real-time basis and this is to avoid manual errors while giving green signal before issuing driving licence.
“During the test, candidates will not be accompanied by anyone and they will have to drive through a computer-monitored track. There will be three to four stages that will test their driving skills. At the end of the test, the computer will generate the final report card,” said an official. For every mistake made by applicant, marks will be deducted. The RTO will fix a minimum number of marks for qualifying the test.
The new technology will eliminate human intervention and improved test accuracy. The videos would be stored as proof of test. The system would also generate speed graphs and analysis reports, the official added.
The proposal for construction of the testing track was prepared way back in July 2010 by the Transport Department. Followed by this, the construction of the track was taken up by the Public Works Department and had completed the civil works during May 2015, sources here said. As the tracks were not ready, the LMV tests were conducted in VOC park, also near the Race Course road and near GV Residency, officials said.
The State Transport Department had a proposal to install the required software and hardware equipment, including the sensor-linked camera, at 14 Regional Transport Offices – Tiruvannamalai, Namakkal (North), Cuddalore, Salem (West), Dindigul, Trichy (West), Karur, Erode, Madurai (North), Virudhunagar, Coimbatore (Central), Tirunelveli, Krishnagiri and Sankagiri during 2015. It had also invited tenders for selection of firms for computerising the driving test tracks at 14 RTO offices.
The tenders were called for procurement and execution of computers and its peripherals, cameras, software including installation, configuration, training and project management during September 2015.
Officials here are unaware of the developments on procurement of materials for commissioning of electronic gadgets, keep on sending reminders once in every three months, but to no avail, they lamented.
source:-thehindu
