New Delhi: Trainees learning to drive from accredited driving training centres need not undergo road tests for their driving licence from next month.
An amendment to the Motor Vehicle Act, scrapping the road test, will be implemented from July 1. The Union government has also issued a notification on the amendment, allowing the setting up of more accredited driving training centres in the country.
Based on the notification, those interested can now set up such centres. So far, the accredited centres have been under the government at several places.
A learner should have 29 hours of training over four weeks for applying for a licence to drive light motor vehicles. Of the 29 hours, 21 should be on practical training, including four hours on a simulator to acquaint the trainee with different driving conditions, such as night driving, rain and fog.
For medium and heavy motor vehicle driving licence, the trainee should undergo 38 hours’ training, which includes 16 hours of theory and 22 hours of practical sessions (three hours on the simulator).
Accredited training centres
Accredited driving training centres are currently only a few in the country, with one each in every State. In Kerala, the centre is located at Edappal in the Malappuram district.
The Centre’s move now is to allow more such centres. Accreditation would be granted for five years to motor driving schools having a minimum of three acres, a workshop to familiarize trainees with vehicle parts, a driving simulator and a test track.
