Panchkula lacks accredited centres for training in driving public vehicles

Panchkula, February 20

Despite the Centre Government’s provisions for government accreditation of driving training centres (DTCs) issued in 2021, the district has no such accredited centre.

Because of the high number of road accidents, in the Centre Government had modified the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (1989) 2021, and included the accreditation of driving training centres into the CMV rules. This was done to make the training scientific, systematic and consistent.

The Centre Government had issued guidelines for states and Union Territories (UT) to grant accreditation, promote, monitor and audit driving training centres in their jurisdictions. The Centre stated that holders of the accreditation were required to set up centres in 10 to 15 acres, ensure proper administration, arrange vehicles, training aggregates, and teaching aids, and design course content, curriculum, technical assistance, guidance, vehicles, and equipment for training.

Such centres were also required to conduct training courses according to the syllabus specified in the CMV Rules of 1989.

Two-and-a-half years after the Central Government’s guidelines, the district is still waiting for its first such centre.

Regional Transport Officer Hairatjeet Kaur said, “A government institute of driving training and research has been established at Karnal, but Panchkula is still waiting for its first centre.”

Hairatjeet said the state government is training drivers of commercial vehicles in the city. “The state had earlier established a centre under Haryana Roadways for training individuals in driving commercial vehicles,” she said.