UP to have 17 driver-training institutes

Uttar Pradesh has set up at least 17 state-of-the-art driver training institutes in the state.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh has set up at least 17 state-of-the-art driver training institutes in the state.

These will be ready by June next year. Besides teaching driving skills, these institutes will make roads safer for commuters.

While the Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) will be opened at different points of time depending on their completion, the Institute For Driving and Traffic Research (IDTR) in Rae Bareli is likely to be inaugurated by the end of the year.

The institute was sanctioned by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway (MoRTH) to train commercial drivers and those who drive their own private vehicles at nominal fees.

In addition to this, Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) have been sanctioned in 14 other divisions by the government for which the tenders have been floated to select vendors.

According to the government spokesman, “By March, we will have vendors selected at all divisions. A centre was planned in Varanasi also but it is being developed by the Centre now. Apart from this, it will take a little more time for the Banda DTI to come up. By June, we may have DTIs in 14 divisions.

Vendors will be given at least three months’ time to get the DTIs ready.

The state has made it mandatory for the government vehicle drivers and commercial vehicle drivers to undergo a refresher course in driving.

“It is not that after a DL is issued a driver cannot be trained. At the time of renewal, they will be asked for a training certificate,” said the spokesman, adding that it will also make the DTIs self-sustainable.

To ensure similar institutes in 58 other districts, the state government has opened it up for the private sector.

The State Transport Authority (STA) has called for applications from the private sector also.