Government has decided to remove the requirement of minimum educational qualification for transport vehicle drivers.

Presently, according to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, a transport vehicle driver needs to have passed class eight. Road Transport and Highways Ministry in a release said the move will benefit skilled persons in economically backward areas. 

The Ministry said, the decision will also help meet the shortage of nearly 22 lakh drivers in the transport and logistics sector, which is hindering its growth. It said the Haryana government had requested for waiver of the educational qualification condition for drivers from the economically backward Mewat region where the population is dependent for livelihood on low-income earning pursuits including driving.

However, while removing the requirement of minimum educational qualification, the Ministry has emphasised upon training and skill testing of drivers so that road safety is not compromised in any way. The Ministry said anyone applying for a driving license will have to mandatorily pass a stringent skill test. 

It emphasised that training imparted by a school or establishment should ensure that the driver can read signs and perform logistical duty such as maintenance of driver logs, an inspection of trucks and trailers, submission of pre-trip and post-trip records, determination of discrepancies in paperwork and effective communication to report safety hazards. 

The Ministry said the government has initiated the process of amendment to the rule of Central Motor Vehicles 1989 and the draft notification in this regard will be issued soon.