RTO to put brakes on illegal driving schools in Nashik

NASHIK: The Nashik Regional Transport Office (RTO) has decided launch a drive to check illegal driving schools operating in the city and across the district. RTO squads would be visiting driving schools to check if they have valid permissions to operate. The decision comes on backdrop of the recent action by the Nashik RTO against a driving school that was operating for the past few years in the Nashik Road area without valid permissions. Deputy RTO Vasudeo Bhagat said they had seized a car from this unauthorised driving school. This vehicle did not have any board declaring it to be from the school nor did the owner have any document of the car. There are close to 250 authorized driving schools in Nashik and another 150 in the district. However, only 150 are actually operating in the entire district.Nashik RTO Pradeep Shinde told TOI they have decided to intensify their vigil against illegal driving school operators. The authorised driving schools have supported the step of the authorities to take action against the illegal operators. Rajesh Deshpande of Vijay Motor Driving School in Nashik said special modified vehicles are used by driving schools for training purposes. The authorized driving school operators follow all the guidelines issued by the RTO from time to time. “However, the illegal driving school operators do not follow rules, keep their fees low,” he alleged. RTO sources said there could be several institutes, which may be operating without the mandatory nod from the agency. Squads have been formed to physically visit all driving schools across the district.