Training centres in Delhi may soon also issue driving licences

The federal ministry had issued a notification on July 1 last year that allowed individuals in India to acquire a permanent driving license without taking a driving test at a regional transport office.

Delhi will allow accredited driver training centres to issue permanent licenses in about a month to those who have successfully completed their motor driving training, the first state in India to do so nearly a year after the federal transport ministry said private entities could issue driving licenses in the country.

These centres shall be equipped with simulators and dedicated driving test tracks to provide high-quality training to candidates, ministry officials said. The centres are allowed to provide industry specific specialised training as well. (Representative image/HT Archive)

Applicants will no longer be mandatorily required to apply for a driving license at a regional transport office, which issues permanent licenses after conducting a test. A learner’s license, valid for six months, can be delivered at home by completing an online test.

To start with, three training centres will be empowered to issue permanent driving licenses, according to officials at the transport ministry and Delhi government’s transport department.

The centres include the Institute of Driving and Traffic Research at Sarai Kale Khan and Loni, which are run by Maruti Suzuki, and the Driver Training Institute at Burari run by Ashok Leyland. The driver training courses typically range between 3-4 weeks.

“For two-wheelers, the driving course will be of approximately four weeks. For four-wheelers, it will for about three weeks. The centres will also offer refresher courses of about two days,” a transport department official said, seeking anonymity. “After completing the full course, the successful learner will get a permanent driving license issued from the centre itself.”

The federal ministry had issued a notification on July 1 last year that allowed individuals in India to acquire a permanent driving license without taking a driving test at a regional transport office.

“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 RTO,” the notification had said. “This will help the drivers in getting the driving license after completing training from such accredited driving training centres.”

These centres shall be equipped with simulators and dedicated driving test tracks to provide high-quality training to candidates, ministry officials said. The centres are allowed to provide industry specific specialised training as well.

Some other states like Gujarat and Maharashtra could also privatize the process. Other states such as Telangana have expressed concern that the step will mean privatisation of the driving license system, which could lead to issuance of licenses without proper checks.