The Hyderabad Goods Transport Association (HGTA) has opened its Transport Training & Development Institute (TTDI) at Autonagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad covering an area of 9,000 sq. ft. The brainchild of the 39-year-old HGTA, this is the first such centre to train truck drivers, cleaners, hamalis, the staff of transporters, etc.
Inaugurating the Institute in the presence of Mr. Suresh Chanda, Commissioner of Commercial Taxes, Mr. C.L.N. Gandhi, Addl. Transport Commissioner, Andhra Pradesh, and other dignitaries, Mr. Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok Leyland Ltd., said drivers need to be groomed well. India boasts of 32 lakh truck drivers, of whom only two lakh drivers have undergone formal training. Ashok Leyland alone has trained five lakh truck drivers. The remaining 25 lakh drivers operate trucks without any training. “That is why we have joined hands with various State Governments to set up eight truck driver training insitututes across the country in the next six months. We are also associating ourselves with other associations to set up another five driver training centers. In Andhra Pradesh we have joined hands with three organizations for driver training”.
Mr. Dasari dismissed the general impression that his company has become too old after 60 years, and said 80 per cent of Leyland’s manpower is deployed on machines less than five years old. The company proposes to invest Rs. 200 crores for product development in the current year.
Asked about the reported move to restructure the Ashok Leyland brand by the Hinduja Group, Mr. Dasari made it clear that there would not be any change in the brand name. It would be the endeavour of the company to grow as one of the top 10 truck and one of the five top bus manufacturers in the world.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gandhi observed that Andhra Pradesh has many truck driving institutes, but almost 90 per cent of them are fake.
Mr. Suresh Chanda, in his address, said that there are plans for two checkposts, one each at Tada and Itchapuram, which will be more driver-friendly. The drivers need not get down from the vehicle to show the documents.
