The Hindu : Front Page : Test track remains a dream

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 19, 2007
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Test track remains a dream

V.S. Palaniappan

Coimbatore: In the absence of a driving test track ground in Coimbatore, the Transport Department uses roadside space in Race Course, Sungam Bypass Road and G.V. Residency area in Sowripalayam for conducting driving/riding test track for driving license applicants.Once the Valankulam bypass road was thrown open for traffic, the Transport Department could not use the Sungam bypass road for conducting tests.

The proposal by the Transport Department for a driving/riding test track ground near Koilpalayam beyond Saravanampatti is under “active consideration by the Government at the highest level”. The proposal was mooted several years ago.

With the vehicular population on the rise, the Regional Transport Offices were getting flooded with applications for driving licence every day forcing the authorities to make use of the roadside space.

In fact the growth rate in terms of vehicles and motorists population has resulted in the Transport Department even mooting a proposal for opening one more Regional Transport Office by carving out areas from the existing two RTOs.

Meanwhile, on the lines of the Institute of Road Transport emulated by other States, the Transport Department has mooted a proposal wherein engineering colleges, Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnics having a huge sprawling campus could set aside two acres of land for setting up a driving/riding test track ground.

The institutions would have to spend around Rs. 16 lakhs for setting up roads and road signs for the test track.

Once a driving/testing track was created, the investor could get back the investment by way of collecting a fee from the two-wheeler and four-wheeler licence applicants for making use of the test track.

Deputy Transport Commissioner, Coimbatore Circle, T. Gunasekaran said institutions interested in the offer for creating a testing track ground for riding/driving tests could approach the department.

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