In a bid to promote the safe use of drones, the transport ministry will set up a pilot certification system involving private organizations, sources said Friday. The envisioned system will allow the ministry to evaluate the skills of pilots objectively when they seek government permission to fly small unmanned aerial vehicles over densely populated areas and other places where drone flights are restricted, the sources said. The ministry will establish certification criteria by the end of March, which will include the content of the training programs that private organizations provide to drone pilot candidates, as well as criteria for trainers and qualification examinations, the sources said. It will begin accepting applications for certification from private organizations in fiscal 2017, which begins in April. The names of certified organizations will be posted on the ministry's website.