Maruti has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Department of Transport, NCT of Delhi, to set up state-of-the-art Automated Driving Test Centres across 12 locations in the city. The carmaker will invest approximately Rs 15 crore to help build the centres.
As per the MoA, pending the Transport Department’s approval, Maruti will help to build the test centres, which will comprise of test tracks, high-definition cameras and an integrated IT system. The Japanese brand will set up and maintain the test centres for a period of three years while the Transport Department will conduct the tests and issue driving licenses to eligible applicants.
The plan for the test centres is to set them up in phases, before being handed over to the Transport Department, who will commission them and decide how they are operated. The Automated Driving Test Centres will possess advanced video analytic technology to monitor and assess the applicant’s driving skills, instead of the manual assessment currently performed.
The Japanese manufacturer, at present, facilitates driver training through its network of nearly 430 Driving Schools, operated in partnership with Maruti dealers across India. It also manages six IDTRs (Institute of Driving and Traffic Research), which use driving simulators and employ trained instructors to impart training based on a theory-cum-practical curriculum, in partnership with state governments.
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.