Unapproved driving schools face crackdown

Dual-pedal training vehicles, certified instructors mandatory

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LAHORE:

A citywide crackdown on illegal and unregistered private driving schools has been ordered.

Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi said no institute would be allowed to operate without registration and approval. He said compliance with Section 23 of the Motor Vehicle Rules, 1969, was mandatory and only the institutions meeting the prescribed standards would be registered.

According to the official, driving schools must have dual-pedal training vehicles, designated buildings, classrooms and certified instructors. Institutions failing to meet the requirements will not be allowed to offer driving training.

The CTO said only registered schools complying with the rules would be permitted to operate and charge the officially notified training fee. He urged citizens to get driving lessons only from approved institutes to promote safe driving, adding that action against illegal driving schools would continue without discrimination.

Meanwhile, a 20-year-old motorcyclist was killed and two others injured after a tractor trolley hit them in the Factory Area. The accident occurred near the Ghazi U-turn at Chungi Kasur, where the tractor-trolley hit the motorcycle.

As a result, 20-year-old Ehtesham died on the spot, while two injured riders were shifted to a nearby hospital by rescue teams. The driver fled along with the vehicle. The police shifted the body to a morgue for legal formalities and launched an investigation. Officials said efforts were under way to arrest the driver with the help of surveillance cameras.

At least seven people died, whereas 1,476 were injured in 1,268 road traffic crashes (RTCs) across Punjab during the last 24 hours.

As many as 76 per cent of the road accidents involved motorbikes.

Rescue data showed that 855 adult and 58 underage drivers, 151 pedestrians and 477 passengers were among the victims. The statistics showed that 207 RTCs were reported in Lahore, which affected 246 persons, placing the provincial capital at top of the list, followed by 82 in Multan with 90 victims.