The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will soon become the first state transport undertaking in the country to develop and lay out a computerised automated test track which will test and also help in developing the skills of its drivers.

The track is being laid out across four acres of land at MSRTC’s Central Training Institute (CTI) at Bhosari, near Pune, the MSRTC spokesperson, Mr Mukund Dhus, said.

The construction work is in full swing and should be completed by April 30, he said. Of the total budget of Rs 2.3 crore for the project, Rs 1.6 crore has been earmarked for civil work, while the remaining funds will be used for computer software and hardware.

Mr Deepak Kapoor, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of MSRTC, said: “The track will be completely controlled by computers, without any human interference. The purpose of this track is to check and improve drivers’ skill level.”

The track will have conditions to test the driving skills of the individual on various types of roads, including straight stretch, gradient (ghat driving), narrow and sharp turns and potholed roads.

Performance during the test would be recorded by the computers and an instant result would be available at the end of the test giving no room for human error, Mr Kapoor said.

“This way we certainly hope to stop the complaints and also aim to minimise accidents on the road,” he added.

“MSRTC will also permit the Regional Transport Authorities (RTA) and others to conduct their driving tests on this track for a fee of Rs 50-60 per candidate. The fee will go towards maintenance of the track,” Mr Kapoor said.

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