Punjab to set up institute for training heavy vehicle drivers

Punjab government would set up an institute and a skill development centre at Kapurthala for imparting training to the heavy vehicle drivers,Principal Secretary Transport, Anurag Aggarwal said .
The Institute for Driving Training and Research will come up at Kapurthala with a cost of Rs 17 crore, he said in a review meeting of transport department presided over by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
Two centres for heavy vehicles - Regional Driving Training Centre, Malerkotla and Heavy Vehicle Driving Testing Track, Gurdaspur - would soon made operational, an official release said.
The department has already entered in an agreement with Mercedes (M/S Daimler India) to offer different skill development training programs for automotive service technician, body technician and electrician, he said.

In another decision, the Transport department has embarked upon to set up an authorised testing station to be located in Kapurthala at a cost of Rs 14.40 crore for the inspection of vehicles in a scientific manner.
The work has already been allotted to Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) with the capacity to handle 20,000 Light Motor Vehicles (LMV) and 13,000 Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMV), the release said.
In order to issue driving licenses for the light vehicles (non-commercial) in a hassle free manner, the state transport department has set up 32 Automated Driving Test Tracks in all 22 districts, he said.

Besides, the department has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Maruti Udyog Ltd. For opening training centres to impart driving skills to the people for light vehicles, the Principal Secretary added.