All govt driving test tracks are now automated in Delhi

With the driving test track at south-west Delhi’s Lado Sarai becoming automated, all 13 government-run tracks in the Capital have now become free of manual intervention, officials said on Saturday.

Twelve of the Automated Driving Test Tracks (ADTT) in Delhi were automated between 2018 and 2022. The transformation to this mode means that permanent driver licence seekers are evaluated only by machines, sensors, and CCTV cameras, officials said.

Earlier, the applicants’ performance was evaluated by transport officials at the sites.

According to transport officials, the number of those clearing the test has gone down significantly since the automation — the average pass percentage at ADTTs is 50% percent against the earlier manual pass percentage of 70-80%. “Everyday around 100-200 applicants arrive at the facility in Lado Sarai. Sensors, overhead cameras, and various other equipment at the site evaluate the skills of the candidates,” said an official, requesting anonymity. ADTTs employ 24 driving tests, including up-gradient which is one of the toughest tests designed to separate a skilled driver from the unskilled one. Other tests include forward-8, reverse-S and traffic junctions. “Around 40,000 people take the test in a month, and around 50% of them flunk the tests,” a transport official said.

Officials owed this to negligible chances of human error in the new evaluation system.

“Unlike the manual evaluation system, the automated tracks declare as “passed” only those applicants who manoeuvre their vehicle conforming to all the rules,” the official quoted in the first instance said.

Delhi’s first automated driving test track was opened at Sarai Kale Khan in June 2018. The other ADTTs are at Shakur Basti, Raja Garden, Mayur Vihar, Rohini Sector 28, Hari Nagar, Burari, Loni Road, Dwarka Sector 22, Jharoda Kalan, Vishwas Nagar, and Lado Sarai.

Transport commissioner Ashish Kundra said driving test track automation will also make roads safer by ensuring that only well-trained drivers get the license. “The automation has increased transparency in the process of issuing licenses. Safe drivers are crucial for safe roads. The percentage of applicants qualifying the tests through the automated tracks is lower than through the manual version,” said Kundra.