Kerala will soon establish 28 Automated Vehicle Testing Stations (ATS) across the state as part of efforts to modernise vehicle fitness inspections and improve transport services, Transport Minister C P John said on Wednesday.

Addressing the passing-out parade of the 17th batch of Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector trainees at the Police Training College in Thiruvananthapuram, the minister said two automated, machine-controlled testing stations with outsourced support would be set up in each district.

He said the government was shifting from conventional vehicle fitness inspections to technology-driven, machine-based testing systems. Driving licence tests would also be made more transparent and modern through Accredited Driving Training and Testing Centres, he added.

To improve the quality of public transport, the government plans to introduce an automated route management system for all stage carriage buses. The system will enable real-time monitoring of bus services and better schedule management based on live data.

The minister said commuters would also be able to access public transport information through a mobile application, on the lines of systems used in Europe and the United States.

John announced that a dedicated modernisation fund would be created for the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment, enforcement tablets and Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras would be deployed on a larger scale to strengthen enforcement and improve efficiency.

John said that a statewide vehicle census would be conducted to determine the actual number of vehicles actively operating on Kerala's roads. Accurate vehicle data, he said, would help reduce server downtime and improve the speed and efficiency of services offered through the department.