Government runs pilot computerised driving test

Union minister for road transport, highways and shipping Nitin Gadkari has said his ministry is running a pilot project in which the driving test is computerised so that licences can be issued within three days.

The minister also said there is a plan to set up 5,000 centres to issue driving licences and fitness and pollution certificates. He was speaking to a small group of journalists in Mumbai on Thursday.

Mr Gadkari also stressed on the importance of developing waterways and rued the fact that the Road Safety Bill could not be introduced and the Inland Waterways Bill has been pending before Parliament for three sessions.

He pointed out that the cost of freight transportation on roads and rail is far higher than on waterways. In China, 47 per cent of the goods traffic is on waterways, while in India the figure is 3.5 per cent, he said, adding that the cost of electrical power in India can be reduced by shifting the transportation of coal (which powers thermal power plants) to waterways.

Mechanisation, modernisation and computerisation of seaports and their benchmarking to international standards are on, Mr Gadkari said. Cabinet approval for three major new ports, at Dahanu in Maharashtra, Colachal in Tamil Nadu, and Sagar in West Bengal, would be sought before the end of December, the minister announced.

The government is also working on building 50 small water ports which will be like airports. A depth of 3 metres will be maintained in the Ganga up to Allahabad to make it navigable. On the Brahmaputra, work on Pandu jetty has started. Near Mumbai on the Amba river-dredging work is going on.

Mr Gadkari said he plans to encourage catamarans and hovercraft to ply. He also spoke of a new type of craft — a cross between an aircraft and a boat — that he calls the “jugaad,” which can travel at 160 kmph on water of 8 m depth.

“It will be revolutionary,” he said.