Crackdown begins on Palghar driving schools

Virar RTO grants or renews licences to Palghar driving schools

Transport authorities have launched a special drive to inspect motor driving schools in Palghar district after a social activist alleged that most of these institutes brazenly flout rules in connivance with local RTO officials.

The crackdown is happening for the first time, said activist Bharati Patil, who runs an NGO Manav Seva Samajik Sanstha in Palghar.

Transport Commissioner Avinash Dhakne. Pics/Hanif Patel

"I wrote to the transport commissioner on June 29 but the inspection started in October. I have requested the department concerned to conduct surprise checks and urged them to provide me with the total number of illegal driving schools where the students get attracted as they charge less than those who have procured all relevant documents and follow the norms," Patil told mid-day.

The Deputy Regional Transport Office is located in Virar East where licences to driving schools are granted or renewed.

A driving school can instal a dual control system only after RTO permission, but many get it done illegally at Kurla

Assistant RTO Pravin Bagade said there are 79 driving schools on record. "All these driving schools are being inspected. It will take around a week and the report will be submitted to the higher authority."

The activist said unauthorised driving schools have mushroomed in Palghar ever since it was carved out of Thane as a separate district.

Bharati Patil, who runs NGO Manav Seva Samajik Sanstha

"It is mandatory to have an area of 150 sqft or more to run a driving school but there are some schools that are operating from houses or bungalows. The premises of a driving school must be dedicated only to impart instructions for driving vehicles but these illegal schools have also been running their shops for PUC certificates, RTO consultants, general insurance, tour and travel services, visa consultant, consultants for auto solutions, money transfer, etc.," she alleged.

Patil said she wrote to the transport commissioner after local RTO officers didn't respond to her complaints.

She said many schools maintain false attendance of students. "Students must report to the driving school for on-road training and attend lectures. But the driving schools have been picking up the students from their homes to impart instructions for driving vehicles and they are also dropped home…this is illegal…how can this happen and the Dy RTO is unaware? Why no action was taken till date by cancelling their license?" wondered Patil.

All the driving schools must have dual control vehicles, except for motorcycles, for training. While a dual control system can be installed on a vehicle only after getting an order from the RTO concerned, schools often get it done without approval. She said there are many mechanics in Kurla who illegally modify vehicles to have a dual control system.

Patil also alleged that many driving schools haven't renewed their licences. "Yet they are operational for reasons best known to RTO officers."

An insider from the Virar RTO office told mid-day that driving schools are bound to have a blackboard, road plan board with necessary model signals and charts, traffic signage, service chart depicting a detailed view of all the components of a motor vehicle, driving instruction manual, collection of books on automobile mechanism, driving, road safety, traffic regulations, laws relating to motor vehicles and related subjects, etc. in their lecture rooms.

"But who follows the rules… most of them do not even maintain the lecture room and the students too are not keen in attending the classes… they are only thrilled to sit behind the wheels to learn driving," said the source, adding, "But this is illegal… the students must learn all the rules for the road safety so that the fatal road accidents can be controlled."

Assistant RTO Bagade said each candidate is required to get 15 hours of training and they have to attend lectures for seven days in 30 days.

Activist Patil said, "If all the driving schools adhere to the rules and regulations, the road crash can be curtailed." She added, "The operations of illegal driving schools are a coordinated attack on the livelihood of those who have been running their classes after following all rules and regulations."

‘Routine exercise'

Maharashtra transport commissioner Avinash Dhakne said, "The surprise inspections are going on in Palghar district to keep check on the driving schools to see if they are following the rules and regulations or not. We generally take such initiatives as a part of our routine work or if anyone approaches us with a complaint." He said, "Driving schools play an important role in road safety because the better they train students, the better we get drivers and the road accidents can be curbed. So, it's the reason we keep conducting surprise inspections so that their mistakes can be caught and those who are found flouting the rules can be punished."