RAJSHAHI, Sept 1: The training centres without skilled trainers in the district are making drivers.
These centres don't have modern infrastructures and training cars. Many drivers with poor skill are coming out of these centres.
Sources at Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said they will conduct drives against these centres and take action who will not meet the required conditions.
Rajshahi Motor Driving and Motor Mechanic Training School, which was established in 1974 at Bilsimla area of the city, got permission from the concerned department in 2011. Drivers receive certificate from this centre and apply to BRTA for licence.
Sources said Principal of the training school Emdadul Haque Bokul, 85, is a BRTA registered trainer. Though he comes to the school, he can't give training. Others give the training who don't have BRTA registration.
The trainees said unskilled trainers are giving training to them at the school and so they can't become good drivers.
While visiting the school recently, Office Assistant Alam Nabi was found to train two trainees about theoretical matters of driving.
While asked, Alam Nabi said he is SSC pass and sometimes takes classes on theoretical matters. He admitted that he doesn't know driving well. He said that another trainer Abu Bakar takes the practical class who also doesn't have BRTA licence as a trainer.
The trainees said there is only car to give training which is also old and doesn't have fitness. The training is given on busy roads as the centre doesn't have training ground.
Similar pictures were found at another training school in Sheikhpara Fire Service intersection area. Director of the school Abdur Rashid is himself the trainer. He said he has been giving training for the last 30 years.
He also said he doesn't have institutional training and his institution doesn't have registration. He is running the school in a rented room beside the road. He gives training on road for lack of training ground.
Another centre Friends Motor Driving School is established in a room at Bhadra Mor of the city. Trainer of the school Kamal Hossen Palash doesn't have institutional training. He also gives training with a car.
Outside Rajshahi City, the only centre Mousumi Motor Driving Training School is situated in Bhabaniganj Municipality of Baghmara Upazila which was established in 2002. Its owner and trainer Hujur Ali is former trainer of Bangladesh Army.
Hujur Ali said though he has trainer certificate, his training centre doesn't have registration. He applied for registration long ago but is yet to get it. He claimed that he so far trained about 5,000 trainees and all of them are now skilled drivers.
Training centre sources said they are giving training in three small courses. They take Tk 3,500 to 15,000 as training fees.
It was alleged that the centres are making drivers in 15 to 20 days. As a result, these drivers are causing accidents. But, different pictures were found at government's Technical Training Centre (TTC) where quality trainings are given through different courses and at reasonable costs.
Principal of TTC Engineer Mahbubur Rashid Talukder said the government's aim is to ensure safe road and remove unemployment. As part of this, this centre is giving training and making skilled drivers.
He also said free driving course has been started here recently where free transport cost and licence are also being given.
While asked whether unskilled drivers are liable for accidents, Joint Convener of Rajshahi Motor Workers' Union Mominul Islam Momin said different factors like unskilled drivers, faulty vehicles, deplorable roads and improper traffic system are also causes of accidents.
While asked about monitoring unskilled drivers, Chief of BRTA district office and Assistant Engineer ASM Kamrul Hasan said they don't have information about these substandard centres. They will take steps after investigation.
Sources at BRTA office here said a total of 28,295 unskilled drivers and 9,821 skilled ones have taken licence from 2013 till 2018. Other than those, thousands of unskilled drivers are driving vehicles without licence. The local BRTA has become active after the recent students' movement demanding safe road.
