Companies, NGOs, firms and more are now eligible to open driving training centres and issue a license

According to the new guidelines laid out by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, any legal entity matching the eligibility criteria can apply for accreditation for a Driving Training Centre (DTC). These DTCs will run under the Regional Transport Offices (RTO) of the respective states and will also be able to issue licenses to individuals after successful training. This step has been taken considering the ever-increasing accidents in the country and in order to impart theoretical and practical driving training to existing and aspiring drivers.

What entities can apply and what is the eligibility criteria?

Entities that can apply for accreditation of a DTC can be any company, association, NGO, firm, vehicle manufacturers and private establishments. The main eligibility criteria among many others are

• The entity should have premises with required infrastructures/facilities on land stipulated under the CMVRules, 1989

• It is registered with the appropriate legal authority

• It has a clean record since its inception

• The financial capacity to manage adequate resources to run the centre to the satisfaction of the StatelUT.

The accredited DTCs will not be funded by the central government and will have to take care of their centres. Although they can seek support under CSR or other schemes under state or central government.

The DTCs that are accredited will function by being in touch with the government authorities, wherein the DTC will be expected to give a yearly performance report, maintain required documents and be available for audits and inspections. And will also be eligible to issue licenses to individuals after successful training.

What is expected of the accredited DTCs

Among many other things that the DTCs are required to do, the most essential is to

• Ensure proper administration and run the Center as per the guidelines of the State.

• Submit to the designated authority which granted the accreditation such information as may be called for by it from time to time.

• The accredited DTC is expected to develop a website that presents a training calendar, course structure, hours, working days, list of training, details of Instructors, the result of training, available facilities, list of holidays, training fee etc.

• The accredited DTC shall develop its portal for online application for driving Training, fee payment and booking of training slots

• Impart free training to the instructors of the institute on a regular basis regarding the latest vehicle technologies.

• Issue a course certificate in Form 58 ofCMVRules, 1989 to every student who successfully completes the course.

The MoRTH has issued guidelines to implement the new rules uniformly throughout the country and expects that it might inculcate road regulation among drivers and riders and promotes good behaviour via the quality training centres.