Applying for driving licence? You may be exempted from driving test. Here's how

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a draft notification proposing a detailed set of norms regarding the accreditation of driver training centres.

In order to impart quality driver training to the citizens, the Road Transport Ministry has proposed detailed requirements to be met and procedures to be followed by such centres.

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Anybody who successfully completes driver training from such centers will be exempted from taking a driving test while applying for a driving licence at the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), the ministry said.

"Further, the Ministry has also provided that, any individual on successful completion of driver training from such centers, will be exempted from the requirement of driving test while applying for a driving licence," an official release stated.

"The step will also help the transport industry to have specially trained drivers, which will improve their efficiency and reduce road accidents," according to an official release.

The draft notification issued on 29 January has been uploaded on the Ministry's website for public consultation, and will be formally issued after this stage, it added.

This comes as the Road Transport Ministry aims to reduce road accidents by half by the year 2025.

Addressing the National Road Safety Council meeting recently, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said that reducing accidents is not a gradual process, and every stakeholder should treat it as a top priority with immediate effect.

Gadkari gave the example of Sweden where there is zero-tolerance for road accidents.