Automated Testing Station at Gambheeram faces backlash over high failure rate

The Automated Testing Station (ATS) at Gambheeram, on the outskirts of the city, has been drawing flak over applicants’ repeated failures in the test compared to the manual system in the past.

A senior citizen with over three decades of driving experience had recently failed the test and blamed the system. “I have been driving for over 30 years, and I even have an international driving license. I don’t think I can ever go wrong,” he argued with the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) officials.

He is not alone; many others, despite being confident in their driving skills, are voicing doubts about the new system.

It was only after Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) M. Butchi Raju showed the senior citizen a video of his driving test that he accepted his flaw. The senior citizen had hit an obstacle placed on the driving track but did not realise it. The skills of the applicants in manoeuvring turns, 3-point and 5-point bends and following traffic signals are scrutinised as part of the test, the MVI said.

Deputy Transport Commissioner R. Ch. Srinivas told The Hindu, “ The Transport Department’s role is limited to verifying the credentials of the candidate going for the test and to authenticate their Aadhaar and other personal details. The physical test is sensor-based and there is no manual intervention. A Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) card is attached to the vehicle of the motorist, to capture data during the driving test.”

In the past, MVIs used to manually check the driving skills of the motorists as they went through the obstacles placed on the track, he added. “The result used to be sent to the motorists on the same day through SMS. There were failures even in the manual system with around 20% to 25% failing the test. But, now it’s around 40% after the introduction of the automatic system in January this year (2025),” he said.

“On the suggestion of our higher officials we started sharing videos of the driving test taken by the applicants, on request. We are also asking them to see model test videos for motorcycles and cars but some of the applicants are over confident and do not take time to watch them,” Mr. Srinivas added.