Maharashtra govt to set up 17 automated driving test tracks: CM Shinde informs assembly

Eknath Shinde. File Pic

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday told the state legislative assembly that the state government is setting up 17 automated driving test tracks, which will have stricter norms to test the driving skills of people, reported the PTI.

CM Eknath Shinde was responding to a question raised by former chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan in the lower House of the state legislature, as per the PTI.

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"The Maharashtra government is setting up automated driving test tracks at 17 places in the state. These tracks will have stricter norms for issuance of a driving licence to the candidate. This will automatically help in reducing the number of road accidents," CM Shinde said, according to the PTI.

Several steps have been taken to reduce accidents on roads, including the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway. As many as 60-70 lakh vehicles have used the highway so far, he said.

Apart from these automated driving test tracks, vehicle fitness testing centres at 23 places would also be set up in the state, CM Shinde said.

He further added that the Maharashtra government was also working on a system to issue messages to vehicle owners before the expiry date gets over.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government, during the ongoing winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur, disclosed that 147 individuals lost their lives in road accidents in Mumbai from January to June 2023. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde presented these statistics in a written response to a query raised by Congress legislator Ashok Chavan, a report by news agency PTI stated.

"From January to June, there were 132 accidents reported in Mumbai, resulting in the tragic demise of 147 individuals. The RTO officials have already initiated vehicle inspection drives to curb such occurrences," stated CM Shinde.

In an another statement, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the Mumbai Police on Tuesday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the death of Disha Salian, the ex-manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, an official said.

Speaking in Nagpur, Devendra Fadnavis said instructions have been given to the police department.

"In the last session of the state legislature, a demand was raised in the Assembly (for setting up an SIT). The government had stated that evidence will be examined and instructions will be given to the police department. Accordingly, instructions have been given to them," Fadnavis, who handles the Home portfolio, told reporters when asked if the SIT has been formed in the Salian case.

In Mumbai, the police official said Malvani police station senior inspector Chimaji Adhav will investigate the case and the investigation will be supervised by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ajay Bansal.

Salian (28) was found dead on June 8, 2020, days before Rajput (34) was found hanging in his flat in suburban Bandra in Mumbai. According to police, Salian allegedly committed suicide by jumping from a high-rise building in Malad.

(with PTI inputs)