Minister Ponnam Prabhakar: Driving Licence on Passing Driving Training Centre Certification Soon

Nalgonda: Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar said on Saturday that the state government is planning to establish driving-training centres across Telangana. While laying the foundation stone for an Automated Testing Station (ATS) at Dhandempally in Nalgonda district, he identified several factors contributing to the rising number of road accidents: poorly maintained vehicles, drivers flouting traffic regulations, and inadequate driving skills.

Looking ahead, Prabhakar announced that Automated Driving-Testing Centres, on par with those in New Delhi, will also be introduced. Driving licences will be issued only after applicants complete training at these centres, and licences of drivers found responsible for accidents will be revoked in addition to any fines imposed.

He explained that the new ATS facilities will modernise and streamline vehicle-fitness assessments by replacing manual inspections and curbing corruption. Each station will conduct automated tests across 15 parameters to certify whether a vehicle is road-worthy. Seventeen such centres, each costing approximately ₹8 crore, are slated for construction. In addition, Traffic Awareness Parks have been set up in government and private schools to instill road-safety habits among children.

He noted that the ATS, along with the state’s new Scrap and EV policies, aims to bring revolutionary improvements to the transport sector, and urged every citizen to take personal responsibility for reducing road accidents by adhering to traffic rules.

Roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy highlighted that the free travel facility for women on TGSRTC buses has enhanced their mobility and opened up business opportunities in Hyderabad and nearby towns. He requested renovation of the ageing RTC depot in Nalgonda. Later, the transport minister flagged off 10 e-buses at the Nalgonda bus stand.