Bihar govt inks pact with Maruti Suzuki for automated driving license test tracks

Patna, Dec (18) The Bihar government on Wednesday signed a pact with Maruti Suzuki India Limited, which will help the state transport department in the automation of five driving license test tracks, an official said.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed here by Navin Kumar, state transport commissioner, and Tarun Agarwal, vice-president, corporate social responsibility for Maruti Suzuki.

Those present on the occasion included transport minister Sheela Kumari and the department's secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister lauded Maruti Suzuki for "exemplary commitment to road safety through nationwide programmes" and remarked "one of their innovative initiatives, the automated driving test tracks (ADTT), ensures that only skilled drivers get a license, making our roads safer for everyone".

She said, already, "we have successfully automated the driving test tracks in Aurangabad and Patna and have seen drivers coming better prepared for the license testing. We are glad to partner with Maruti Suzuki again to develop five more ADTTs in Bihar. This collaboration will significantly contribute toward reducing road accidents and promoting responsible driving practices in our state." Rahul Bharti, executive officer, corporate affairs, Maruti Suzuki, said, "Our association with the Bihar government goes back to 2018 when we set up the state's first Institute of Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR) to offer driver training in Aurangabad and later in Patna. We thank the government of Bihar for further entrusting us with this road safety project".

Bharti added, "According to data shared by the Union Road Transport Ministry, 15.3 lakh lives were lost in road accidents between 2014 and 2023 across the country. Road death rate in the country is around 250 per 10,000 km as against 119 in China, 57 in the USA, and only 11 in Australia".

"An important aspect of road safety is driver's skill and knowledge of traffic rules. Automated Driving Test Tracks will ensure that license seekers are better prepared and only skilled drivers are awarded a license. This will bring a positive transformation that will go a long way to reduce road accidents caused by human error", he said.

"With the addition of five more test tracks in Bihar — at Purnea, Gaya, Saran, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga —, we will complete automation of 44 driving test tracks across the country", added the Maruti Suzuki official. PTI NAC MNB