Want to Learn driving? Check out the school

Chandigarh, October 29
Planning to learn driving from a driving school? Ensure that the driving school has a qualified instructor and a classroom for theory classes.
While there are a number of driving schools operating across the city, only 20 are registered with the State Transport Authority (STA) and have a valid licence to teach driving.
One can find a driving school in every corner of the city, but how many of these have the licence is yet to be found by the STA.
To run a driving school, there is a need to obtain a licence from the STA after completing various requirements, one of which is to have a classroom with a qualified instructor.
The instructor should have a diploma or a degree in mechanical engineering or a diploma in motor mechanics. These rules are hardly followed, with operators running from parking lots and markets.
According to rules, one needs to pay Rs 500 as licence fee every year to register a driving school and Rs 1,000 for pollution check.
Vehicles used by driving schools need to have controls on the left side as well. Before enrolling a student, the driving school should ensure that the applicant has a learner’s licence.
STA secretary Mahavir Kaushik has said they will hold special checks to ensure that driving schools operating across the city have a valid licence.
“We regularly penalise schools running without STA permission and ensure that the rules are being followed,” he has stated.
Official sources say the STA is also preparing a list of driving schools with licence and those being run without permission.

Conditions that are a must

• Classroom with instructor having diploma or degree in mechanical engineering or diploma in motor mechanics
• Valid licence from State Transport Authority
• Vehicle used should have controls on the left side as well
• Boards on vehicle displaying ‘L’ clearly so that other commuters are aware that the driver in under training