UP to set up regional driving training centres in 15 districts to strengthen road safety

Lucknow, Apr 15 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday said it is set to strengthen road safety and modernise driver training through the establishment of Regional Driving Training Centres across 15 districts.
    The transport department has initiated the process of setting up these centres in districts where the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) has not been proposed, the government said in a statement.
    The Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs) aim to institutionalise road safety and provide advanced training to commercial drivers, equipping them with modern skills and knowledge for safer driving practices.
    Transport commissioner Brajesh Narain Singh has written to the district magistrates of the selected districts, requesting the availability of suitable land for setting up the centres.
    The proposed districts include Varanasi, Ayodhya, Moradabad, Gonda, Meerut, Aligarh, Mathura, Azamgarh, Banda, Mirzapur, Etawah, Saharanpur, Sitapur, Jaunpur and Bijnor.
    Singh said the RDTCs will be established with the aim of minimising road accidents and training commercial drivers.
    "While letters have already been sent for IDTRs in nine districts, 15 additional districts have now been identified for setting up RDTCs, and the respective district magistrates have been asked to provide land for the same. These centres will play a key role in producing skilled drivers and creating employment for the local youth," Singh said.
    According to the statement, the initiative is part of a centrally-funded scheme by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
    "The ministry has instructed the state authorities to submit detailed proposals for the development of RDTCs in the specified locations," the government said.
    "Currently, Uttar Pradesh has over 30 lakh commercial vehicles but only about 27.5 lakh trained commercial drivers. This means there's a shortage of nearly 20 per cent. To fill this gap and to improve road safety and create job opportunities, the state government will set up the RDTCs," it said.
    The project will be implemented through the office of the transport commissioner, the statement added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)