Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday proposed to set up computerised driving test tracks in Mangalore, Belgaum and Hospet at a cost of Rs. 15 crore.
Presenting the 2013-14 budget here, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the test tracks are necessary to test driving skills of applicants scientifically before granting the licence. Already, one such track is under operation in Jananbharathi regional transport office (RTO) in Bangalore.
He also reiterated his predecessor Jagadish Shettar’s announcement on opening of new RTOs in Banashankari, Chamarajapet, R.T. Nagar and Marathahalli in Bangalore, Hubli in Dharwad district, and Surathkal in Dakshina Kannada district. Also, three Assistant RTOs would be opened at Dandeli (Uttara Kannada), Madhugiri (Tumkur) and Tarikere (Chikmagalur).
Mr. Siddaramaiah also proposed to establish heavy vehicle driver training institutes in Mangalore and Gulbarga at a cost of Rs. 30 crore. He also said a truck terminal and logistic park would come up on National Highway 63 on a 56-acre plot in Anchetageri village near Hubli.
Also, truck terminals would come up in Raichur, Hospet, Karwar, Mangalore, Hassan and Humnabad, he said.
While allocating Rs. 1,374 crore to the transport sector, Mr. Siddaramaiah fixed a target of Rs. 4,120 crore revenue collection for the department.
He offered 50 per cent concession in road tax for maxi cabs being operated exclusively as school cabs.
Tax on diesel
Responding to demands from trade and industry on higher price of diesel prevailing in Karnataka compared to neighbouring States, Mr. Siddaramaiah announced that the sales tax on diesel would be brought down from 16.75 per cent to 15.65 per cent.
With this, diesel price would come down by 51 paise a litre in Bangalore, he said, and urged trade and industry to keep up their promise of making up this loss (Rs. 300 crore) by buying diesel within the State.
