Only 7.5% state schools make the RTO grade ………Nitasha Natu
Mumbai: Spare a minute before enlisting your teenaged child into that popular neighbourhood driving school. A grading exercise undertaken by the state transport department has found that only 7.5% of driving schools in the state offer proper facilities and services.
RTO officials scoured through a total of 1,420 driving institutions in the state over a period of 10 months, evaluating them on the basis of a set of parameters, including the qualifications of trainers, facilities offered
and quality of vehicles. The grading process concluded on November 10 (TOI had on September 2 reported about the RTO’s preliminary report which stated that a mere 8% of driving schools made the cut).
While 108 schools were allotted grade ‘A,’ 579 schools got ‘B’, 629 schools were graded as ‘C’ and 104 schools received ‘D’.
“Last year, Maharashtra earned the dubious distinction of the state with the highest number of road accidents—79,823. A majority of the offenders were in the age group of 18-23. The grading system will help parents choose the right school for their ward. Proficient drivers can help reduce the number of accidents,’’ said state transport commissioner Deepak Kapoor.
Schools which scored above 75% were allotted grade ‘A’, those with scores between 60% and 75% were graded as ‘B’, C for those with scores between 50% and 60 % and those with less than 50 % were given ‘D’.
All the schools were given a three month period, from June to August, to sprucing up their facilities. Between August and October, a team comprising an assistant RTO official and an inspector examined these schools. Once the inspection was complete, the schools were instructed to display their grades in bold letters at the entrance and paste stickers on vehicles used by them to train students.
“We have made it clear that the state will not tolerate schools with grade ‘D.’ They will be given a month to upgrade,’’ Kapoor added.
Some of the schools with poor grades have begun feeling the pinch—students and parents are choosing grade ‘A’ schools. “We have been flooded with calls from owners of grade ‘D’ driving school. They want to know how they can upgrade their institutions. A school in Amravati has, on its own, replaced broken down Maruti cars that were being used to train students with new Esteems,’’ said an RTO official. “Competition and market forces are playing a role in the improvement of these schools, without any subsidy offered on our part.’’