Maruti Suzuki emphasises a comprehensive approach to road safety, focusing on five key areas: engineering, education, evaluation, enforcement, and emergency careMaruti Suzuki India Limited and the Bihar government have partnered to automate driving license test tracks in five Bihar cities: Bhagalpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Purnia, and Saran. This initiative aims to improve road safety by ensuring only qualified drivers receive licenses through a more transparent and standardised testing process. The agreement was signed in the presence of Bihar's Transport Minister and other key officials from both organisations. This expands on existing automated tracks in Aurangabad and Patna, part of Maruti Suzuki's broader road safety efforts across India.
Maruti Suzuki and the Bihar government formalised the agreement through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). The signing ceremony included Bihar Transport Minister Sheela Kumari, Secretary of the Transport Department Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, State Transport Commissioner Shri Navin Kumar, and Maruti Suzuki's Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, Tarun Agarwal.
Central Motor Vehicle Rules testing
The automated tracks will eliminate human intervention in the driving test process. This system uses technology to evaluate candidates based on the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR). The automated system also generates test results.
“I applaud Maruti Suzuki, India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, for their exemplary commitment to road safety through nationwide programs. One of their innovative initiatives, the Automated Driving Test Tracks, ensures that only skilled drivers get a driving license, making our roads safer for everyone. We successfully automated the driving test tracks in Aurangabad and Patna with them and have seen drivers coming better prepared for the license testing. We are glad to partner with Maruti Suzuki once again to develop five more Automated Driving Test Tracks in Bihar. This collaboration will significantly contribute toward reducing road accidents and promoting responsible driving practices in our state of Bihar,” said Sheela Kumari, Transport Minister of Bihar.
This partnership builds upon previous collaborations between Maruti Suzuki and Bihar. In 2018, they established the Institute of Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR) in Aurangabad. Subsequently, automated driving test tracks were launched in Aurangabad in 2020 and Patna in 2021.
“Maruti Suzuki’s 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. Since then, we have inaugurated ADTTs at Aurangabad in 2020 and Patna in 2021. We thank the Government of Bihar for further entrusting us with this road safety project. Maruti Suzuki has been steadfast in its commitment to the 5 pillars of road safety - engineering, education, evaluation, enforcement, and emergency care. Automated driving license testing is a vital component of the ‘evaluation’ process. Equipped with high-definition cameras and an integrated IT system, ADTTs guarantee a comprehensive, efficient, and transparent testing process ensuring that only skilled drivers are awarded licenses,” stated Rahul Bharti, Executive Officer, Corporate Affairs, Maruti Suzuki India Limited.
Maruti Suzuki's approach towards road safety
Maruti Suzuki emphasises a comprehensive approach to road safety, focusing on five key areas: engineering, education, evaluation, enforcement, and emergency care. Automated driving test tracks are considered a crucial element of the evaluation process.
The high-definition cameras and integrated IT systems within the automated tracks ensure a thorough and unbiased assessment of driving skills. This rigorous testing aims to contribute to a reduction in road accidents attributed to driver error. Bharti highlighted the stark difference in road death rates between India and other countries, emphasising the importance of driver skill and knowledge of traffic rules.
This latest project expands Maruti Suzuki's network of automated driving test tracks across India. With 27 tracks already operational in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, and Haryana, and 12 more under development in Uttar Pradesh, the addition of these five tracks in Bihar will bring the total to 44. This demonstrates Maruti Suzuki's continued commitment to improving road safety nationwide.
