Auto companies asked to set up training schools for drivers

New Delhi, Sep 20 (UNI) Emphasising the considerable scope for public-private partnership (PPP) in the field of drivers' training and their skill upgradation, the government today asked the automobile manufacturers and other stakeholders to join its efforts in this direction.

Inaugurating the Driver Training School and Transport Management Institute in Greater NOIDA in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu said All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) has set up a good example of PPP by setting up this school.

''More and more Drivers Training Schools should be set up in the same way as the efforts of the government alone may not be sufficient,'' Mr Baalu said.

The minister said road safety is one of the top priorities of the government and the driver forms an important component in the road traffic system.

''Better standards of road safety cannot be achieved without greatly enhancing the driver's capability to drive safely,'' he said. Pointing out that the training of drivers has remained unorganised in the country, Mr Baalu said there has always been lack of standardised institutions for drivers' training. ''Though, of late, some good training institutions for drivers have emerged, lack of resources comes in the way of developing and training them adequately,'' he observed.

Ranked third in the world in terms of largest motor vehicle population -- about seven crore vehicles with a decadal growth of 7-8 per cent per annum -- the situation has resulted in India having the second largest number of road accidents, the Minister said.

Quoting reports of the World Bank and the WHO, Mr. Baalu said more than 1.2 million people die in road accidents globally every year, of which around 92,000 deaths occur in India.

An estimate made by the Planning Commission had put the total social cost at Rs.55,000 crores in 2000 on account of road accidents, deaths and injuries, which was about 3 per cent of the GDP.

In this scenario, he said, it is imperative that training programmes and refresher courses must be organised all over the country, especially for drivers of heavy vehicles.

Mr Baalu said the government had taken a number of steps with the help of state Governments and the Planning Commission for setting up at least one Driver Training School in each State. ''We are aware that proper training of drivers can curtail the accident rates in our country and my ministry has so far assisted in setting up 10 such Driver Training Schools,'' he said, adding that every year, more and more such schools were being established.

He said the ministry has taken up a two-day refresher training programme for drivers of heavy vehicles in the unorganised sector, in a big way.

As against coverage of 15,740 drivers during the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1997-2002), during the first four years of the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-2007), a total of 1,43,931 drivers have been imparted training.

During 2006-2007, 53,000 drivers are to be trained.

Pointing out that a large number of drivers of heavy vehicles came from a disadvantaged background and some of them were illiterate, the minister said the Driver Training School, might try to impart basic literacy skills along with driving skills.

He said the problem can also be dealt with by raising awareness of the road users. For this purpose, the Central Government is already assisting around 120 NGOs in the country.

UNI/SKS SHB PM2009