With increasing fatality rates on the Indian roads and lack of awareness and driving skills prevalent in the country, a number of automobile companies have been investing in driving infrastructure. The new environmental norms in the truck and bus segment demand more sophisticated engine technology for which this awareness drive is absolutely essential. The Central and the State Governments have started recognizing the need for driver training infrastructure and have been collaborating with various automobile companies to set up training institutes.
The growth of the automobile sector has also thrown up challenges by way of shortage of drivers to man the increasing number of commercial and passenger vehicles. The Driver Training Institutes play a key role in inducting the fresh drivers and improving the quality of their driving skills.
Ashok Leyland’s Driver Training Institutes (DTIs) over the years have evolved as centres of excellence in preparing drivers for life, both on and off the road. With a state-of-the-art infrastructure and a scientifically designed curriculum, the training covers all aspects of driving and road management, while also promoting a holistic approach to health, stress control and overall well-being. Skills such as safe driving, fuel conservation, repairs and maintenance are taught here. The other aspects of life on the road are also highlighted like trouble shooting, fire-fighting and first aid. Training on Heavy vehicle driving simulator provides the Driver trainees with benchmark driving skills in shortest possible time. Scientific approach adopted by Ashok Leyland Driver training institutes make the entrant drivers to achieve minimum accidents levels, long vehicle / aggregates life & greater operational economics, thru quality driving skills. Inputs given on Stress Management & personal hygiene not only groom them as a well behaved lot on the National / State Highways but also improve their social status in the society.
The MOTORINDIA team had an opportunity to visit Ashok Leyland’s driver training institute in Namakkal and gather information on the various programs available for the driver trainees there and also the government’s role in such programs.
Mr. E.N. Surendran, Senior Manager, Driver Training, Ashok Leyland Ltd., who is associated with the centre since its inception in 1995. He says: “We have two programs here, a fresher and a refresher program. The refresher program varies from one day to three months. For the fresher’s, we launched a Star Initiative Program last year sponsored by the Central Government which is a skill development program of NSDC and ASDC. The Government provides a fund of Rs. 15,000 per person, which includes providing them with a license. The training period varies from one to two months. We trained 200 drivers in 2014 alone. This year we have been asked to train 320 drivers, from the Government of Tamil Nadu skill development scheme. Since it is free of cost, people are willingly taking part in such programs now. We provide certificates on completion of these courses which helps the drivers to get placed immediately. Also to address the problem of reckless driving, we have a two day refresher program for drivers from the unorganised sector. Under this scheme, this year we plan to train 3,000 drivers. We conduct a session, a one-day program, on road safety for school students also.”
The Namakkal DTI is easily accessible from Erode, Salem and Trichy. Spread over 25 acres, the campus includes a 15 acre driving range with every conceivable road configuration, a spacious building accommodating large classrooms, a library, a model room, a laboratory and a cafeteria with an open-air theatre attached. It has the capacity to train 600 drivers a year which can be increased with the demand. “We have trained almost 3,50,000 drivers till date. There are nine driver trainers each handling eight trainees. We are planning to increase the number of trainers to 20 next year. This institute has trained almost 2000 freshers as of now. With the government schemes coming in we plan to train 1000 drivers annually. The centre was started with a single vehicle which has increased to 15 with various configurations now”, says Mr. Surendran.
The Namakkal institute has trained drivers from ONGC, GMR Group, VRL Logistics and Airport Authority of India (AAI), to name a few.
Apart from the Namakkal institute, Ashok Leyland has DTIs in Burari (Delhi), Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh), Kaithal (Haryana), Rajasamand (Rajasthan) and Bhubaneswar (Orissa), all running successfully under the PPP model. The company is planning to inaugurate two more such centres in Karnataka, one each in Bangalore and Dharwad.
As a significant contribution to the driver community Ashok Leyland provides scholarship programme “ALL THE BEST” for their children who have scored high marks in the high school and higher secondary examinations for their further studies. The company works with associations like NTLOA to identify such children. This initiative was started four years ago. As of now, more than 600 students have been benefited.
Ashok Leyland team is working on few more projects which would be operational over the next few months.