The Traffic Department will soon introduce an electronic system for the “L” and “parking” tests in driving schools to abolish direct supervision by the policemen.

These two preliminary tests take place in the premises of the driving schools to qualify the trainees for the final road tests. Currently the tests are conducted in the presence of policemen, who are responsible for evaluating the trainees and issuing the results.

Driving schools are now preparing to introduce a new system in which the tests will be monitored electronically from a control room in the driving school. Instead of physically supervising the tests, the policeman will sit in the control room and monitor the test on a computer screen. The result will also be issued based on this assessment.

“We will be implementing the new system very soon. We have already conducted the trial and it was very efficient and successful,” an official of a leading driving school told this daily yesterday.

He said a major advantage of the new system is that the candidates can take the tests without being scared of the presence of policemen. It will also help avoid complaints about bias or favouritism by inspectors supervising the tests.

“Nobody can claim that the evaluation was wrong since there will be solid proof to show how the candidate has performed,” said the official.

There will be censors at the testing grounds which will be linked to CCTV cameras monitoring the tests.

If the car touches the censors during the test, it w ill be captured by t  he camera and shown on the large LCD screen in the control room.

The Traffic Department has also plans to install CCTV cameras in the cars used for road tests to accurately monitor the performance of the trainees during the tests and avoid complaints, it has been learnt.