STA in Odisha signs MoU with Ashok Leyland for Three new driving institutes

Cuttack: The State Transport Authority of Odisha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ashok Leyland on Monday for the development, management, and operation of three new Institutes of Driving Training and Research (IDTR).

The new institutes are located in the mining belt of the State in Berhampur, Keonjhar, and Bonai in Sundargarh district which would fulfill the requirement for skilled drivers.

A Heavy Motor Vehicle (HMV) driving training institute is already functioning in Jajpur’s Chhatia since 2013. The Chhatia HMV Institute was jointly established by the Odisha government and Ashok Leyland to train high-quality drivers to meet the demand of the transport industry and to make local youths employable by adopting skill development in HMV driving.

The institute has trained 60581 drivers so far.

Speaking on the occasion, Arun Bothra, Transport Commissioner, Odisha said, “In our country, Odisha Govt. is providing excellent facilities to create skilled HMV drivers. No state has such numbers of IDTRs in the country. The upcoming facility will help enhance the HMV driving skills of the drivers, particularly in mining areas of Odisha. It will help our youth to get employment within and outside the state.”

He further added, “These IDTRs will not only meet the requirement of drivers in different sectors but also help in reducing the fatalities, injury, and loss of property due to road accidents. Besides that, a trained and skilled driver will ensure the timely and safe delivery of the goods.”

Through these institutes, which also house hostels, HMV drivers will get practical training on different types of terrains and road conditions. The tenure of skilled driving training is 30 days as prescribed by the CMVR (Central Motor Vehicle Rule), 1989. Once the tests are cleared, the center will also issue driving licenses to skilled drivers.

Pradeep Kumar Mohanty, Principal, Govt. Driving Training School informed, “The monthly capacity of Berhampur, Keonjhar, and Bonai to train140, 134 and 150 drivers respectively. The construction of three IDTRs is completed by Odisha and the operation and management will be done in PPP mode with Ashok Leyland.”

The infrastructure of the three new centers is ready and the training is expected to commence soon.

He further added, “In the one-month course, the driving skills of the applicants will be enhanced and they will be provided training on good road behavior and etiquette. They will also be imparted training on defensive driving and techniques to achieve better fuel economy.”