The Ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways (MoRTH) has notified new rules for accredited driver training centers to ensure high-quality driving learning courses. This initiative aims to impart proper training and knowledge to candidates who enroll at such centers, which will further help in tolling the high numbers of deaths that take place each year in road accidents. According to a report from MoRTH itself, India recorded the highest number of deaths in the world (around 11%) due to road accidents in 2019. A total of 151,113 people were killed in 4,80,652 road accidents across the nation in 2019, an average of 414 deaths per day or 17 in an hour.
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These new rules will be effective from the 1st of July 2021. Here are key points that you should know about this new training service: –
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The new rules specify minimum criteria to become a driving instructor and infrastructure requirements for the training centers.
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The training centers will be equipped with required learning simulators as well as dedicated driving test tracks to provide high-quality training.
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As per the rules, such training centers for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and light motor vehicles should have a minimum of one acre of land. Training centers for medium and heavy passenger goods vehicles or trailers need to have at least two acres of land.
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The ministry has also guided a teaching curriculum. The course for LMV (light motor vehicle) will be a maximum of 4 weeks divided across 29 hours and will be trained into two sections – Theory & Practical. The theoretical training will be of 8 hours, covering all the major aspects of vehicle indicators, road signs, road & driving etiquette, traffic education, understanding causes of accidents, first aid, and driving fuel efficiency. The rest of the 21 hours will be reserved for practical training, which includes reversing, overtaking, parking, and driving on different road conditions like city, highway, mountain, and rural.
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Candidates belonging to such driving centers who have successfully passed the driving test at these centers will be exempted from the mandatory driving test of the RTO to obtain the driving license (DL). This will also help in diminishing the long queues at the RTO for the driving test.
- Such centers must also offer the option to avail remedial and refresher courses, following the requirements under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. This means if a candidate wants a refreshment on a specific part of driving, it can be done through these centers, and he/she won't be required to take the entire training.
