Road safety course mandatory for commercial drivers
Road safety course mandatory for commercial drivers
In view of increasing road accidents, state transport commissioner V N More’s office issued a circular, which mentions that, now onwards road safety course will be mandatory for auto, taxi, school bus, tourist bus and truck drivers. They will have to undergo a day’s refresher course on road safety every three years to get their licences renewed.
More has directed all RTOs in the state to submit a report by September 10 on licence applicants attending the course this month. A source said some RTOs like Navi Mumbai and Nagpur were regularly holding the course, which has now been made compulsory for all 48 RTOs in the state.
As per the circular, “The course can be conducted with the help of traffic experts, doctors and NGOs. Emphasis should be laid on discipline, a driver’s responsibilities, the hazards of dangerous driving and overloading, how a driver should be concerned about passengers, other motorists and pedestrians, and what he should do in case of an accident.
“The RTOs have been asked to organize lectures by experts and also hold audio-visual presentations and show short films for licence applicants.
Anil Garg of School Bus Owners Association said that bus drivers went through similar programmes three times in a year — during road safety week and one of them being organised by SBOA. “There is no need for repeated refresher courses,” he added.
