Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.
Credit: DH File Photo
Mangaluru: Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that work on 43 automated driving test tracks and 11 Automated Testing Station (ATS) by the end of the year in the state.
Speaking to mediapersons during his visit to Mangaluru RTO office, he said the work on automated driving test tracks in some districts are in progress and some are nearing completion. Once all the works are completed, the state will have fully automated test tracks. Further, the Automated Testing Stations will replace the outdated manual inspections at RTOs with a more efficient system. It will reduce corruption and minimise the involvement of middlemen in the fitness certification (FC) process, he said.
The minister said that 1462 applications related to driving licence renewal learners licence have been cleared in Mangaluru RTO and 43 are pending for clearing which should be cleared immediately, he told RTO.
There was an issue with the issuance of smart cards one month ago after one of the tenderers had approached the court raising objections. However, the court has rejected the application. Till date all the applications on smart cards have been cleared in the state.
As the RTO building has not seen a coat of paint and maintenance for the past few years, I have instructed the Commissioner of Transport Department to ensure that the building in Mangaluru is maintained during the year with a fresh coat of paints. Stating that staff to the Transport department was not recruited for long, he said KPSC has been asked to conduct exams for 75 posts of inspectors at the earliest.
The Minister said that 3,500 KSRTC buses will be scrapped during the year. “We have sought more budgetary allocations for construction of bus stands and buses. Already, 9000 conductors and drivers have been recruited. The document verifications of the recruited candidates are in progress. About 1000 have been recruited on compassionate ground. The KSRTC will receive 800 buses shortly.”
Govt has no role
To a query on Metro fare hike, Reddy said "Karnataka has no role in the fare hike. As per the Metro Act, the committee decides on the revision of fare. The board is presided over by the secretary of the Union ministry of housing and urban development.”