RTD mulls punishing driving schools if they produce bad motorists

THE Road Transport Department (RTD) will suspend or revoke the permits of driving institutes if many of their former students are found to have committed traffic offences and have been involved in road accidents.

RTD director-general Datuk Zailani Hashim said the move would be done by placing a code on the driving licence to detect which institute the traffic offenders received their training from.

However, he said, the method was still in the planning stage and was expected to be listed under the e-Testing system, which will be implemented nationwide in April this year.

Zailani said this to reporters at Akademi Memandu Anda Sdn Bhd in Melor, Kota Bharu, yesterday, at which Malaysia Road Transport Academy director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan was also present.

Elaborating, Zailani said based on existing records, there are 10,569 driving instructors in Malaysia certified in line with Rule 11(4) of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Schools) Rules 1992.

“However, there is a backlog of 1,779 applications due to restrictions on activities such as courses, seminars and workshops enforced by the government previously,” he said.

He added that based on statistics from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department of the police force and the RTD, 80% of road accidents were due to human negligence. – Jan 31, 2022

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