News
24
May
2018
Govt’s training course for heavy vehicle drivers must
“The drivers of heavy vehicles like buses and trucks will have to undergo a special training course after which they will be given a certificate of approval. Those who do not have the certificate will not be allowed to drive.".
PATNA: The state transport department will launch mandatory special training course for the drivers of heavy vehicles, including buses and trucks, from the last week of May in all the districts and test the fitness of all the buses in the state.
The decision has been taken in the wake of Motihari bus accident on Thursday and several other similar accidents recently.
“The drivers of heavy vehicles like buses and trucks will have to undergo a special training course after which they will be given a certificate of approval. Those who do not have the certificate will not be allowed to drive. Similarly, fitness test for all the buses will also be conducted by the inspection unit of the department. If the vehicles fail to pass the test, the permit of that vehicle will be cancelled immediately,” state transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal told this newspaper on Friday.
He said it will include proper speed verification test, brake checks besides sound and pollution tests. “The drivers will be taught about road safety norms and the driving rules. The course will be conducted in all the 38 districts from this month end,” he added.
Agarwal also said a large number of driving licences have been suspended over the last year for reckless driving and repeat accidents. The drivers of 60 years and above seeking renewal of their driving licences will have to bring a medical certificate to confirm their competence to safely operate the vehicle. Agarwal said the conductors in the long-route buses would inform the passengers about the emergency exit and safety measures that can be taken in case of any untoward incident.
“It will be made compulsory for all the buses to have proper fire safety equipment and first-aid boxes. The emergency exits should also be kept unlocked,” he said and added, “The vehicles using the same space over the years coupled with careless driving practices could be the major reasons behind the increased number of accidents in recent years. Therefore, we are also going to increase the number of bus permits on some of the long routes where the cases of overloading of passengers had been reported.”
PATNA: The state transport department will launch mandatory special training course for the drivers of heavy vehicles, including buses and trucks, from the last week of May in all the districts and test the fitness of all the buses in the state.
The decision has been taken in the wake of Motihari bus accident on Thursday and several other similar accidents recently.
“The drivers of heavy vehicles like buses and trucks will have to undergo a special training course after which they will be given a certificate of approval. Those who do not have the certificate will not be allowed to drive. Similarly, fitness test for all the buses will also be conducted by the inspection unit of the department. If the vehicles fail to pass the test, the permit of that vehicle will be cancelled immediately,” state transport secretary Sanjay Kumar Agarwal told this newspaper on Friday.
He said it will include proper speed verification test, brake checks besides sound and pollution tests. “The drivers will be taught about road safety norms and the driving rules. The course will be conducted in all the 38 districts from this month end,” he added.
Agarwal also said a large number of driving licences have been suspended over the last year for reckless driving and repeat accidents. The drivers of 60 years and above seeking renewal of their driving licences will have to bring a medical certificate to confirm their competence to safely operate the vehicle. Agarwal said the conductors in the long-route buses would inform the passengers about the emergency exit and safety measures that can be taken in case of any untoward incident.
“It will be made compulsory for all the buses to have proper fire safety equipment and first-aid boxes. The emergency exits should also be kept unlocked,” he said and added, “The vehicles using the same space over the years coupled with careless driving practices could be the major reasons behind the increased number of accidents in recent years. Therefore, we are also going to increase the number of bus permits on some of the long routes where the cases of overloading of passengers had been reported.”