The goal of the initiative is to enhance the driving license issuance process by making it more thorough, efficient, and transparent through the use of cutting-edge technology.
On Saturday, Maruti Suzuki India Limited entered into a collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Transport Department, formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), to modernize driving license test tracks at Driver Training and Testing Institutes (DTTIs) located in Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Mathura, Prayagraj, and Varanasi. This partnership aims to enhance the driving license issuance process, making it more detailed, efficient, and clear with the help of advanced technology.
The agreement was finalized by Chandra Bhushan Singh, the Transport Commissioner of the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Tarun Agarwal, the Vice President of CSR at Maruti Suzuki, in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The DTTIs will be outfitted with scientifically designed test tracks, high-definition cameras, and a comprehensive IT system to ensure precise evaluation of driving skills. Candidates for driving licenses will undergo assessment in these sophisticated facilities. The initiative emphasizes the importance of safe driving and will issue driving licenses only to those who demonstrate competent driving abilities. The agreement includes the automation of test tracks for Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMV), Light Motor Vehicles (LMV), and two-wheelers by Maruti Suzuki.
Chandra Bhushan Singh expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration with Maruti Suzuki, noting that it will make the driving license issuance process more scientific and transparent. He highlighted that the automation of test tracks at DTTIs in the five cities will contribute to road safety and reduce accidents.
Rahul Bharti, the Executive Officer of Corporate Affairs at Maruti Suzuki India Limited, shared his excitement about partnering with the Uttar Pradesh Government to upgrade the driving testing system with advanced technology. He pointed out Maruti Suzuki’s two-decade-long commitment to road safety and its training of over 44 lakh individuals in safe driving through its various institutes.
Bharti emphasized the significance of automating driving license test tracks at DTTIs, stating it ensures impartial assessment with minimal human interference, where driver license candidates are evaluated objectively within ten minutes. He thanked the Uttar Pradesh Government for the opportunity to collaborate in promoting safe and responsible driving.
Maruti Suzuki will be responsible for the technological automation of the driving license test tracks, adhering to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) to accurately assess the driving skills of candidates. The Uttar Pradesh Government will oversee the civil work and operation of the centres for issuing driving licenses to qualified candidates.
In its road safety efforts, Maruti Suzuki has focused on this area as a key part of its corporate social responsibility. The company has established Automated Driving Test Tracks (ADTTs) in collaboration with the Transport Departments of Delhi, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Haryana. It has achieved 100% computerized driving license testing in all centres in Delhi.
Furthermore, Maruti Suzuki has established Institutes of Driving & Traffic Research (IDTRs) and Road Safety Knowledge Centers (RSKCs), where it has trained and evaluated over 44 lakh drivers since 1999. The company has also partnered with the Delhi Government to implement a Traffic Safety Management System (TSMS) that has placed high-resolution cameras and radar systems at 13 junctions in Delhi, identifying traffic violations and issuing over 33 lakh challans from 2019 to March 2022.