A special squad of the Motor Vehicles department (MVD) has recommended suspension of licence of a driving school in North Paravur for alleged irregularities after a flash inspection.
A three-member squad from the office of the Ernakulam Deputy Transport Commissioner found that the driving school named Mini did not have the licence to train learners in two-wheeler driving. Though the school was in the name of one Joy N.V., his son Midhun Joy served as the driving instructor, and he did not have the requisite licence to impart training in two-wheeler driving.
“Incidentally, this was the same person who featured in a recent viral social media video, which showed him driving a two-wheeler without helmet on the driving test ground in North Paravur. The incident happened last week while I was there. Initially, I warned him, but he and his father chose to argue with me, following which I issued a challan against him,” said Vinod Kumar N., Motor Vehicle Inspector, Sub RTO, North Paravur.
Midhun had since then been asked to undergo a week-long training meant for driving school owners and driving instructors at the MVD’s Institute of Driver Training and Research Centre (IDTR) at Edappal and also to do voluntary service at the trauma care wing of the Ernakulam General Hospital for a day.
He also stands banned from entering the driving test ground or the road where the test is being held during the period.
In fact, the squad found that Midhun had a case registered against him by the North Paravur police. He was giving driving training hiding this fact, MVD sources said.
Meanwhile, the MVD is continuing its inspection of driving schools in North Paravur and Aluva. Many schools were found flouting the syllabus by not holding theory classes in full. The owners and instructors of the schools at fault have been asked to undergo training at IDTR.
The Transport Commissioner has formed a 10-member squad comprising officers of the rank of Regional Transport Officer to Assistant Motor Vehicle Inspector under the supervision of a Deputy Transport Commissioner. Apart from monitoring the functioning of driving schools, the squad will look into driving and fitness tests and the functioning of pollution testing centres and vehicle dealerships.
