Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, on Thursday, April 3, highlighted a severe shortage of skilled drivers in India, revealing that the country lacks 2.2 million trained drivers.
Speaking during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, he pointed out that inadequate training facilities contribute significantly to road accidents and fatalities.
"According to a World Bank report, India has a shortage of 22 lakh drivers. Many accidents and deaths occur due to untrained drivers," he said, as per a report by PTI.
To tackle this crisis, the Centre has launched a Rs 4,500 crore scheme aimed at setting up 1,600 driving training institutes across the country in phases.
Gadkari elaborated on the initiative, explaining that the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) is spearheading efforts to improve driver training infrastructure.
"The ministry has started a Rs 4,500 crore scheme to establish driving training institutes nationwide. The initiative is expected to generate substantial employment opportunities. These institutes will create over 60 lakh jobs," Gadkari added.
The government has urged all states and Union Territories (UTs) to submit proposals for establishing various types of training centres, including:
Institute of Driving Training & Research (IDTRs)
Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs)
Driving Training Centres (DTCs)
"About 1.8 lakh people die every year in road accidents, and many of these fatalities involve untrained drivers," he said.
