Overview
- The transport department approved eight new automated driving test tracks, taking the total to 46 across Kalyan, Vasai‑Virar, Malegaon, Dhule, Gondia, Satara, Ratnagiri and Karad at a revised cost of about Rs 86 crore, with CIRT appointed to route contractor selection.
- The first Mumbai track at Tardeo was awarded to Ashoka Buildcon under a public‑private partnership and is slated to take 18 to 24 months, which requires shutting the current test track during construction.
- RTO officials proposed relocating tests to BEST’s Mumbai Central depot, but BEST says the depot manages about 130 buses and lacks the continuous space a driving track needs.
- Officials are weighing the Worli Dairy site to keep Tardeo’s 300 to 400 daily driving tests running, and the unresolved move could slow the project start.
- The automated system will record each test end‑to‑end, use video analytics and face recognition to issue pass‑fail decisions, and let applicants review footage to challenge results.