The driving training institute at Chhatia in Jajpur will impart driving skills through both theory as well as practical sessions. Telegraph picture

Jajpur, May 15: Jajpur will soon have a heavy vehicle driving training institute.

The institute, first of its kind in the state, will be located at Chhatia in the district. It would train and hold refresher programmes for nearly 25,000 drivers every year.

The district administration has provided about 40 acres near Chhatia to set up the institute for Rs 9.50 crore. The Centre would share Rs 3 crore of the estimated project cost.

“The institute will have all necessary facilities for training of the drivers of heavy commercial vehicle, including tracks such as, 8-curve, S-curve, six-lane roads and village roads,” said Jajpur collector Pramod Kumar Mohanty.

The project would come up in PPP mode with automobile giant Ashok Leyland being the key sponsor, the collector said.

The company would provide trained manpower, develop and conduct appropriate courses, he said, adding that the institute would be best of its kind in eastern India.

The government-owned institute aims to cater to impart professional driving skills through adequate infrastructure and trained instructors to the heavy vehicle users to curb road accidents.

“Many road accidents are taking place every year. The studies in the causative analysis of various road accidents, carried out in the past, infers that majority of accidents occur owing to the driver’s fault. Therefore, there is an urgent need to impart good driving skills through both theory as well as practical training sessions to the commercial vehicle users,” said Prahallad Behera of the Regional Transport Officer (RTO), Chandikhole.

“The objective of opening the heavy vehicle driving institute is to bring in professionalism and to curb road mishaps,” said Behera.

He said there was no full-fledged driving training institute for heavy vehicle drivers in the state either in private or government sector. Those operated by private players did not have sophisticated facilities, he said.

“The trainees will have hostel facilities, classrooms, simulators, qualified teachers, practical testing facility and other gadgets. They will also have sophisticated and computerised tracks for test driving,” said Deepak Das, state transport department official.

As per official report, 12,000 new drivers could be trained annually, apart from three-day long refresher course for 6,000 drivers per annum and the same course for 5,000 drivers, carrying hazardous goods.