Getting a driving licence at the Andheri RTO won’t be a walk in the park anymore.

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The RTO finally got a driving test track for new drivers, which means driving tests will become a must. The track will test learners on taking sharp curves, halts and speed up vehicles keeping in the lane and give a demo to the RTO officials issuing the licence.

Officials feel that it will bring in uniformity in driving test sessions.DNA had highlighted the lack of a test track at Andheri on November 3 and how drivers had to negotiate within a space of hardly 50 metres to give a demo of their driving.

The new drivers, who are approved and issued licences, were asked to drive their vehicles in a small open space.

The Andheri RTO has become the first one among the three Mumbai RTOs to get a track. Two special officers, Dyaneshwar Herde and D Modak are in command, dedicated for the test tracks.

“I agree that it is a basic track, but it is always better that not having one. We have taken measurements and drawn up a carefully measured test track in the given limited space at the office and drivers are asked to negotiate it to give a demo of their driving skills. A bigger and permanent track is also in the process of being built along with a new multi-storey building that is coming up,” said Bharat Kalaskar, Andheri’s chief RTO officer.

With test tracks mandatory and a huge sum marked in the budget every year, their absence at city’s RTOs had raised concerns.

“The test track has been built with basic features of a junction so that three inspectors can take test at one time, given the huge workload on us. The tracks will ensure that the driver at least gives a demo of basic activities such as emergency braking, sharp curves and halting at a point, rear-view mirror look-out etc,” he said.

“It will also do away with allegations that a particular inspector is favouring one person or a driving school and bring in big uniformity for basic tests,” he added.

Such tracks are expected to come up at the Wadala and Tardeo RTOs too.