Virtual test ride soon for getting licence

Planning to buy a car and also get your driving licence from the Regional Transport Office? Then be prepared for a virtual test ride in addition to the actual test ride on the RTO ground. And, this would be done through a simulator.

To churn out only the best of drivers, the state transport department has recently introduced several new tests and methods in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and several other RTOs in the state. Now, the department has decided to install a driving simulator at one RTO as a pilot project. Later, such simulators would be installed at other RTOs as well.

Giving details, transport commissioner JP Gupta said one simulator would be installed at the Gandhinagar RTO on an experimental basis. According to him, driving tests would be conducted through this machine to examine the response of candidates in various situations.

“At present, a driving test is conducted in a fairly ideal environment and on tracks provided by RTO on their premises during daytime where the candidate does not face the real-life difficulty of driving.

In reality, the driver has to drive the vehicle in heavy traffic at night and in the rain. Thus, it is necessary to test their driving capabilities and skills in such environment, too,” said Gupta.

According to him, the driving simulator would create such an environment and challenge the driver. The simulator is designed to give a feeling of driving and it projects different environments and difficulties on the screen. The simulator will have a steering wheel, breaks and clutch paddle in it. A large screen in place of the front windscreen will project graphics to create an environment such as driving in rain.

“This initiative is aimed at churning out skilled drivers, who can respond in a better way after getting their licences. This would also ensure the safety of drivers and reduce accidents by ill-prepared drivers,” assured Gupta.

Recently, the transport department has drastically changed the way licences are given. Apart from the sensor-based tracks in Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, the RTOs have also started taking a written test before the driving test. These RTOs have also incorporated bio-metric thumb print system to make sure that no one gets a licence without coming to the RTO.

“We have raised the bar. We have found that 30% candidates are failing in the objective-type knowledge tests, which check their understanding about the basics of driving. But, this is necessary for their own safety,” said Gupta.