The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified rules mandatory for accredited Drivers Training Centres.

These notified rules will come into effect from 1 July this year.

According to a statement by the MoRTH, the move will help in imparting proper training and knowledge to candidates who enroll at such centers.

Here are the salient features of the Accredited Driver Training Centres:

1. The centre shall be equipped with simulators and dedicated driving test track to provide high quality training to candidates.

2. Remedial and refresher courses, as per the requirements under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, can be availed at these centres.

3. The candidates, who successfully pass the test at these centres, will be exempted from the driving test requirement at the time of applying for driving license, which is currently being taken at the Regional Transport Office (RTO). This will help the drivers in getting the driving license after completing training from such accredited driving training centres.

4. These centers are allowed to provide industry- specific specialized training as well.

As per the ministry, shortage of skilled drivers is one of the major issues in the Indian roadways sector and a large number of road accidents occur due to lack of knowledge of road regulations. Section 8 of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019 empowers the Central Government to make rules regarding accreditation of Driver Training Centers.

Earlier in February this year, the ministry had said that the step will also help the transport industry to have specially trained drivers, which will improve their efficiency and reduce road accidents.