Despite inspections and guidelines issued by the Transport Department to private driving schools, complaints of lack of quality and exorbitant fees arise from some of the training centres.
According to an RTO official, there are a total of 148 private driving schools across Coimbatore district. While the department may crack down on driving schools over the training methods and the maintenance of records, there are no such regulations regarding the fee structure.
As per the norms of the department, a driving school must be spread across at least 1,000 sq. ft., a training instructor at a driving school said. The trainer must possess a minimum qualification of Mechanic Motor Vehicle (MMV) from the Industrial Training Institute, he said.
A monthly inspection would be conducted by an RTO inspector at every driving school, where attendance records, permits and first aid kits should be available. The training car must possess dual pedals for the trainer and the trainee, the trainer said.
However, some driving schools still did not adhere to these guidelines, the RTO official said. Show-cause notices would be issued to such schools.
K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause, alleged that some driving schools allowed its trainees to drive on the roads before acquiring the licence, which might prove dangerous to other road users.
He urged the Transport Department to make stringent enforcements for private driving schools.
