Centre speeds up establishment of district level driving institutes to curb road accidents across India
According to the officials, familiar with the matter, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has already approved proposals for 20 such institutes, with 20 more currently in the pipeline. Revised guidelines for one time grant to establish such training facilities were released in January.
'On daily basis, the ministry is receiving proposals. The matter is being taken up on priority. There was some confusion as the matter had land in the Supreme Court after which it was believed that the Court had put a stay. The Government is giving a subsidy of Rs 2.5 crore however the cost is Rs 3-3.5 crore,'said officials.
The ministry is implementing a scheme to establish IDTRs across India, with support from the 14th and 15th Finance Commissions. These institutes aim to improve road safety by providing quality driving training, particularly for commercial vehicle drivers, and promoting better traffic management and overall mobility.
As per the revised guidelines, there will be one institute for 2.5 crore population in tier one cities. The criterion for setting up of the regional driving training centres is one crore population for 2-tier cities and a district will have at least one such facility for every one lakh people with the maximum ceiling of four with certain conditions.
The guidelines state that land should be encroachment and encumbrance free for which the cost will be borne by the state governments and union territories (UTs). The Centre will provide one time grant and the local government or administration will bear the recurring expenditure of the facility.
The scheme was launched by the Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari earlier this year.
The guidelines say that the proposal for driving and training institutes should invariably contain provisions of automated driving test tracks. The Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT), Pune will be the monitoring agency and provide technical and handholding support for IDTR to states and UTs for setting up of those centres.
In March, Gadkari urged parliamentarians, members of the Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to the ministry on road safety, to send proposals for setting up driving training institutes in their constituency.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
19 minutes ago
- The Hindu
India's first hydrogen-powered train coach successfully tested at ICF Chennai: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday (July 25, 2025) announced that the Indian Railways has successfully tested the country's First hydrogen-powered coach at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. According to the Minister's social media X post, the country is working on a 1,200 horsepower hydrogen train, which will help India to place itself amongst the leaders in hydrogen-powered train technology ."First Hydrogen powered coach (Driving Power Car) successfully tested at ICF, Chennai. India is developing 1,200 HP Hydrogen train. This will place India among the leaders in Hydrogen powered train technology," Mr. Vaishnaw posted on 'X' .In 2023, Mr. Vaishnaw informed Rajya Sabha that Indian Railways has envisaged running 35 Hydrogen trains under "Hydrogen for Heritage" at an estimated cost of ₹80 crore per train and ground infrastructure of Rs 70 crore per route on various heritage and hill routes. Additionally, the Indian Railways has also awarded a pilot project for retrofitment of a Hydrogen Fuel cell on an existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake along with ground infrastructure at the cost of ₹111.83 crores, which is planned to be run on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway. The running cost of a Hydrogen fuel-based train is not established in IR scenario. It is estimated that the initial running cost of the Hydrogen fuel train set will be higher, which will subsequently reduce with an increase in the number of trains. Further, the use of Hydrogen as fuel provides larger benefits in the direction of green transportation technology to support zero carbon emission goals as a clean energy source. Last year, in a significant step towards promoting sustainable transportation solutions, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, showcased India's advancements in green hydrogen mobility by demonstrating a hydrogen-fuelled bus powered by India's oil PSU Indian Oil to the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Shri Tshering Tobgay and his delegation.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Phoenix Mills to buy CPP Investments' 49% stake in joint retail realty platform for Rs 5,450 cr
The Phoenix Mills Ltd is set to acquire a 49% stake in its joint venture, Island Star Mall Developers Pvt Ltd (ISMDPL), from CPP Investments for Rs 5,450 crore. This move will increase The Phoenix Mills' ownership in ISMDPL to 100%. The transaction, aimed at consolidating ownership in high-performing assets, will be completed over three years. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The Phoenix Mills Ltd will buy a 49% stake in its joint venture firm Island Star Mall Developers Pvt Ltd (ISMDPL) from CPP Investments for Rs 5,450 crore as part of its growth present, The Phoenix Mills and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) hold 51 per cent and 49 per cent stake in ISMDPL, completion of this deal, the company's stake in ISMDPL will rise to 100 per cent from the current 51 per company develops retail-led mixed-use to a regulatory filing on Thursday, The Phoenix Mills, CPP Investments and ISMDPL have entered into an arrangement to provide an exit to CPP Investments from this company's board has approved this agreement."CPP Investments shall receive an aggregate cash consideration of Rs 5,449.16 crore from the company and/or ISMDPL," the filing amount will be paid to CPP Investments in four tranches over a period of three Phoenix Mills might acquire 49 per cent equity stake of CPP Investments in the ISMDPL, or the JV firm could choose from options like dividend, share buyback and selective capital total portfolio of ISMDPL is around 4.5 million sq ft. ISMDPL owns 'Phoenix MarketCity Bengaluru' while its three subsidiaries own mix-use development in Pune, Bengaluru and JV firm posted a turnover of Rs 919.73 crore during the last fiscal."The proposed transaction is aligned with the company's strategic vision to consolidate ownership in high-performing assets comprised in the ISMDPL platform, with a clear long-term growth trajectory and generate sustainable long-term value," The Phoenix Mills company's developments are spread across retail, hospitality, commercial offices, and residential asset classes across major cities.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Subsidy on EVs below 40 lakh to be restored
The subsidy on electric vehicles (EVs) priced below Rs 40 lakh is set to be restored. At present, a subsidy of up to 15% is available only on EVs costing over Rs 40 lakh - a price point out of reach for the middle class. While chairing a high-level review meeting with officers from his department regarding the new MSME policy, industries and commerce minister Rao Narbir Singh on Thursday directed officials to restore the subsidy on electric vehicles to "provide relief to middle-class consumers", besides promoting eco-friendly transport. The minister emphasised that promoting green energy will be meaningful only if its benefits reach the common citizen. Haryana Electric Vehicle Policy 2022 offered a 15% subsidy (up to a maximum of Rs 6 lakh) on EVs priced between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 40 lakh. The subsidy ended on March 31, 2024 and the new policy focuses on electric two- and three-wheelers.
