City residents to get driving test track soon

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 1

The Parkash Singh Badal-led state government’s promise of providing driving test tracks for obtaining driving licence is nearing realisation.

The District Transport Office is gearing up to build a driving test track. A track is under construction adjoining the workshop of the Punjab Roadways, which is opposite the Gobindgarh Fort.

It is being raised on about 1.5 acres. The driving test is mandatory under the Motor Vehicle Act. However, so far, in the absence of a driving test track, applicants were obtaining driving licences without taking any test.

Officials at the District Transport Office (DTO) said it would take about two months to prepare the track and other paraphernalia. The track would be used to test the driving skills of applicants for getting licences of two-wheelers and light motor vehicles. The track would be equipped with CCTV cameras, sensors and traffic signals.

The demand for driving licence can be gauged from the fact that on daily about 300 applicants apply for learners and regular licences. However, the regular license can be obtained only after the case was passed by the Motor Vehicle Inspector.

Naresh Johar, a resident, said it was a welcome step which came late.

He added that many precious lives have been lost and scores of people suffered injuries at the hands of novice drivers.