No takers for driving training centres in district

Neeraj Bagga

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Amritsar, February 19

Three years after the Union Government passed instructions to set up driving training centres (DTCs), no private company has shown interest to set up the same.

In this scenario, the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) does not have any alternative but to provide technical training to aspiring drivers of four wheelers and two-wheelers. It relies only on tests conducted on the automated driving testing track, situated opposite Qila Gobindgarh. Though the government owns the installation, its services to conduct tests are outsourced to a private company.

The Union Government had modified the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, 2019, Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, vide notification number 394(E) dated June 7, 2021, to make the driving training scientific and systematic through the accredited driving training centres which are to be set up and operated by private companies.

The ambitious plan envisaged that these institutes would not only impart scientific and systematic training to driving aspirants but also inculcate good behaviour among road users and road safety. The centres would have promoted scientific and systematic driving training besides creating employment opportunities for youth.

Gurcharan Singh, who has been imparting driving skills to aspirants for the past two decades, said this was an extremely costly proposition which requires a big chunk of land, equipments, plenty of skilled manpower, daily operational cost and other features. He added that a big company with deep pockets could invest in the project.

Certainly as per the guidelines the accredited DTC should have infrastructure, basic facilities, qualified manpower as per provisions under the Central Motor Vehicles (CMV) rules 1989. These are adequate land parking area for the vehicles, men to be used for imparting instructions in driving, classrooms with teaching aids like computers and multimedia projector for holding theory classes or lessons on traffic rules and regulations, driving procedures, vehicle mechanism, public relations, first aid simulators for both the classes of vehicles including light motor vehicle and heavy motor vehicle, broadband connectivity, driving tracks, vehicles for training with dual control except in case of two wheelers.

The amendment carries 12 general guidelines to be complied by the driving training centres. Sources in the transport department stated that the guidelines stated that an applicant should have premises on at least a minimum land piece, duly connected with an all-weather road, separate public utilities for men and women, financially capable to operate the centre as per provisions, curriculum of training course duration and level of proficiency will be as per the national skill qualification framework or as approved by the government.

As far as accreditation procedure is concerned it states that the state government shall make provisions in their motor vehicle rules to mandate driving training for certain categories mandatory and to establish a system to grant accreditation, promote monitor audit and other activities of DTC.

In addition, these DTCs would be subjected to annual audit whose cost would be borne by the DTC centre. In case during audit or inspection the designated authority which granted the accreditation is satisfied that the centre has failed to comply the provisions of the rules.

Sumit Singh, a resident, said the project could see the light of the day if the government sets up infrastructure and then outsources the same to a private company to run its affairs. Otherwise, the project sought huge investment and then scrutiny over its day-to-day functioning by the Transport Department.