The road transport ministry has notified a new rule that will allow you to get a driving licence after successfully undergoing training at any accredited driver training centre and you won’t need to undertake a driving test at any RTO.
Soon, you will be able to get your driving licence without undertaking a driving test at any RTO. Seems like a dream come true? There is a catch, of course. Licences won’t be doled out indiscriminately and learners will have to undergo training at an accredited driver training centre and pass the test there.
This rule will come into force from July 1. It will only allow private driving training schools to function who have been granted accreditation either by the state transport authority or the central government.
Under the rules, the candidates who successfully pass the test at any accredited driver training centre will be exempted from the driving test requirement at the time of applying for a driving licence, which is currently being taken at the Regional Transport Office (RTO).
The rules, which come into force from 1 July, will allow only those private driving training schools to function which have been granted accreditation either by the state transport authority or central government.
“This entire process will be tech-driven and without any human interference. The accreditation will be given to centres that meet the criteria of space, driving track, IT and biometric system and carry out the training as per prescribed syllabus. Once the centre issues a certificate, it will reach the motor vehicle licence officer concerned,” said an officer.
This step is taken to tackle the high number of road accident-related deaths that take place every year. Through this new rule, the ministry aims to increase skills and trained drivers. “We need only skilled and trained people driving on roads, who are aware of rules and are cautious,” an official said.
The MoRTH, also tweeted on their social media handle saying, “Shortage of skilled drivers is one of the major issues in the Indian roadways sector. A large number of road accidents occur due to lack of knowledge of road regulations.
What are the new rules for a driving licence?
Under the new rules, the training schools will be required to renew their accreditation after every five years. Training centres with two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and light motor vehicles should have at least one acre of land. For heavy vehicles, the centres should have at least two acres of land. The instructor should have passed class 12 and have a driving experience of 5 years.
The ministry has also prescribed a teaching curriculum and the duration of the course will be of weeks spread across 29 hours. The course will be divided into 2 segments – practical and theory. Under the practical segment learners will be required to spend 21 hours learning to drive on basic roads, highways, rural roads, city roads, driving uphill and downhill, reversing and parking, etc. The theory segment will constitute 8 hours of the entire course.
