Though it is more than 17 years since Udupi became a district headquarters, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) here has no driving test track.
With the result, the driving test of all vehicles is done on the road that leads to the RTO. Since the road reaches a dead end, there is no traffic involved.
But the lack of a computerised driving test track has made life difficult for motor vehicle inspectors.
Sensitive trackingAccording to officials at the Transport Department, manual testing of driving on the road is no substitute to computerised testing.
A driving test track was much better because such a track would have all real situations such as curves and steep climb, as well as various road signs.
“Besides, a computerised driving test track would have sensors to record even a small mistake. Hence the skills of the drivers could be tested in a better manner. Also, the testing will be transparent and there will be no scope of any corruption,” said Arun Kumar Singh, Regional Transport Officer. The number of persons seeking driving licences is quiet high.
In the month of November 2014, as many as 947 persons sought driving licences for cars, 1,065 for motorcycles with gears and 571 motorcycles without gears and gearless scooters, from the RTO here.
Staff shortageThis means, on an average, motor vehicles inspectors are inspecting the driving skills of nearly 60 two-wheeler drivers and 35 four-wheeler drivers per day. Of the sanctioned seven posts of motor vehicle inspectors at the Udupi RTO, only four have been filled, with the remaining three being vacant.
The RTO also lacks a well-equipped vehicle testing station to check the safety measures, stability, efficiency and emission of vehicles. Presently, this is being done at a temporary station, constructed just by the side of the Transport Office.
New track proposalThe RTO has submitted an application to the Additional Deputy Commissioner to provide at least 10 acres of land near the proposed Kota Shivaram Karanth Kalagram at Alevoor village, about 8 km from Udupi, for the new driving test track and vehicle testing station.
Addition Deputy Commissioner Kumara said there were problems with regard to the sketch of the project in the proposal. “Action will be taken soon after we receive a revised sketch from the Udupi tahsildar,” he said.
