LUCKNOW, June 13 -- Applicants seeking permanent driving licences in Lucknow may soon have to travel considerably longer distances for mandatory driving tests, with the transport department approving a new testing centre in Banthra and preparing to shift testing operations there within a month. The move is expected to impact thousands of applicants who currently visit ARTO offices in Transport Nagar and Deva Road for driving tests. For many residents, the change could mean a substantially longer journey. While applicants coming from the Transport Nagar side may have to travel around 15 kilometres extra, those from areas served by the Deva Road ARTO could face an additional commute of up to 45 km. The development comes as the transport department rolls out a new system of dedicated driving test centres aimed at standardising licence testing. Officials say learner's licences will continue to be processed online, but biometric verification, document scrutiny and driving assessments for permanent licences will gradually move to the specialised centres. Lucknow is slated to get four such facilities, but only the Banthra centre has received approval so far. Pradeep Kumar Singh, ARTO (administration), said the Banthra facility has received departmental approval and is expected to start functioning after completion of staff and technical formalities. He added that more centres are planned, which could eventually reduce travel distances for applicants....