300 Jobless Trained by Police at Driving School

Sep 27, 2017

LAHORE - The city traffic police on Tuesday launched “skilled drivers, safe roads” campaign to train drivers of public vehicles and heavy transport.

The move comes after successful training of 300 unemployed youth who were trained by the traffic police at a driving school in Lahore. As part of the latest traffic rules education drive, hundreds of unemployed youth are being trained at driving schools in collaboration with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta). Training sessions are being organised in phases.

Chief Traffic Officer Rai Ijaz Ahmad told reporters that at least 300 drivers were given training in the first phase. “We are going to open four more driving schools in different parts of the city in collaboration with Tevta,” the chief traffic officer said.

The officer expressed the hope that drivers trained by the traffic police would be hired by the private sector on priority. “We are helping and encouraging young people in different ways. We provide them training and driving licences and an opportunity to excel and earn,” the officer said.

A few months ago, the traffic police and Tevta launched an initiative to train unemployed youth at driving schools so that they are hired by the private sector. Skilled drivers are in high demand in big cities of the province. Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif endorsed the initiative and directed the chairman of Tevta to work with the City Traffic Police Department.

In a related development, CTO Rai Ijaz Ahmed met Tevta Chairman Irfan Qaiser Sheikh to discuss the plan.

The CTO informed the chairman that they had only one driving school in Lahore. He said that four new driving schools in the city would open doors to big opportunities for unemployed youth.  It was decided at the meeting that a board consisting of representatives of various commercial companies would be constituted to conduct tests of drivers and distribute certificates to successful candidates. People can apply for training at driving schools.

On this occasion, Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said “this was our first priority to provide best driving schools for professional training to drivers”. Professional trainees will impart training to new drivers, he added.

(The Nation)

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