Road safety expert picks holes in Punjab's automated driving test tendering

Chandigarh, Sep 12 (IANS) International Road Safety expert Kamal Soi on Friday picked holes in the Punjab government’s newly floated tender for automated driving test tracks (ADTT), describing it as a “scam in the making” and designed to benefit a select few private players.

Soi, who is the Chairman of Raahat -- The Safe Community Foundation, recalled the crackdown by the state Vigilance Bureau in April and exposed a massive bribe-for-licence racket across regional transport authority offices and driving test tracks in the state. The raids had led to 24 arrests, 16 first information reports (FIRs), and the suspension of senior officials, including an ADGP, an SSP (Vigilance), and an AIG-rank officer.

He also highlighted the deliberate delay by the state Transport Department in implementing HAMS technology by Microsoft India for driving licence competency tests in Mohali -- a pilot project that was ready for several months but “intentionally kept on hold”. HAMS was implemented only after the matter was raised through the media. To date, over 10,000 tests have been conducted using HAMS at the testing track in Mohali, wherein the results are eye-opening.

“Forty per cent passing rate in Mohali (HAMS-based test), in stark contrast to the 99 per cent passing rate across the rest of Punjab, a grave concern, which even the Supreme Court has highlighted and reprimanded the state on multiple occasions,” he said.

Despite the proven success of this pilot, the government has now issued a tender notification on September 5 for the selection of service providers for the implementation, operation and maintenance of the automated driving test track, personalisation of driving licence and providing other allied services for Punjab State Transport Society for five years, which reeks of manipulation, favouritism and corruption.

Soi urged the Chief Minister and the Governor to intervene at once and stop this “scam in the making”. “Failing this, we may have no option but to knock at the doors of the judiciary to secure justice for the people of Punjab,” he added.

--IANS

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