Hyderabad|India|November'2010: PSC Bose Memorial Driving School’s Test Driving Track comes up near Hyderabad at Nandigama in Krishna District in Andhra Pradesh. It is India’s most advanced and a first of its kind Driving Track for training & learning. It is spread over 3.4 Kms stretch, with 0.75 Kms hill, dips, hair-pin bends, ghat section, scary roads, blind curves, steep climbs, S turn, Y junction, 8, on water driving, etc. and others built over a period of over 4-5 years by Parvataneni Subhaschandra Bose Memorial Trust. It is most advanced track for both testing and driving practices for learners & refreshers. The track is now open for use.

Addressing a Press Conference Mr. P. Sudheer, Trustee of PSC Bose Memorial Trust said over 1,35,000 total number of deaths occurred due to road accidents every year in India. India accounts for about 10% of road accident fatalities in the world. The death toll is 14 per hour and 10 are inured. Road accidents are on the rise every year. Road accidents do not just cost lives, but cost India 3% of its GDP too. Preventing accidents also mean preventing loss of capital.

Adding further quoting a 2009 UN report Mr. P. Sudheer said that 90% of the world’s accidents take place in low income and middle income countries where drivers are poorly trained, roads are not well planned and law enforcement is lax. India’s record in this regard is particularly poor with more than hundred thousand people killed on roads annually. The same UN report also says that by 2030, road traffic injuries will rise to become the fifth leading cause of death on our planet, beating HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis and resulting in an estimated 2.4 million fatalities per year. Therefore, we need to change the situation added Mr. P. Ramesh, Trustee of PSC Bose Memorial Trust.

PSC Bose Memorial Driving School established in the year 2001. The Driving School started imparting training to the drivers at free of cost (training, boarding and lodging). We have already been running free residential training programmes for drivers for the past 9 years. We have already trained 5500 drivers unders various training programmes right from the inception of PSC Bose Memorial Driving School. Here people aspiring driving as a profession for livelihood and to become driver come with uniform and will go with licenced driver to lead disciplined driving life, said P. Sudheer. Navata Road Transport and its associate Organisations through Parvataneni Subhaschandra Bose Memorial Trust pumps in about rupees three lakhs per month for providing free residential training programmes.

Driver errors cause most road deaths in India. Having a good hand at the wheel makes all the difference between life and death on India’s treacherous roads. Three out of four road deaths took place because the driver was at fault—in other words, it was a clear case of human error. Through professional driving training we want to minimise the road accidents. This is our way of saying we care for better society said Sudheer.

Our family associated with Automobile industry more particularly transport field for almost over six decades. We are more concerned about the safety of the drivers, whom we consider as partners in our progress. Hence, we embarked on this ambitious project. We worked on it for over five years to built the class driving track . Today we can proudly claim that we are one of the best in building the Test Driving Track.

Stating further Mr. Ramesh added that a country with a total motorable road stretch of 3 million kms, which can shamefully take the blame for annual traffic fatalities to the tune of over 100,000, it becomes imperative to have a strict on-road law. Moreover, with annual passenger vehicle sales in India expected to touch 2,000,000 units during the current year our roads have become extremely congested and the drivers can appear to be rough in their approach towards beating the traffic. The roads also play a part in making driving difficult.

Our Founder Parvataneni Subhaschandra Bose always dreamt of transport industry workers and their welfare and we should contribute to the Automobile industry specially transport sector from where we have started our journey for livelihood and taken the profession as way of life. Therefore, we kept on the top of our agenda and started PSC Bose Memorial Driving School in memory of our founding father. With lying of excellent modern driving track, after successfully running the driving school with free training boarding & lodging for more than (9) years we have fulfilled our founding fathers dream. The Driving School located in an area of 6 acres and the Driving track located in an area of 120Acres.

Sri Parvataneni Subhashchandra Bose started career in a humble way as a mechanic established “Bose Workshop” in Vijayawada in 1957. A great visionary run successfully with high discipline the city buses in Vijayawada for more than (2 ½ ) decades, founded Navata Road Transport in 1982 with 46 branches, 17 trucks and 65 staff in a small way. NAVATA today with 635 branches and 400fleet (trucks) plying about 284 lakh kilometers each year involving 8000 both direct and indirect employees is one of the leading transporter in the country. It handles 36lakh consignments weighing about 5 lakh tones, transports consignments worth about Rs 6000 crores every year. This is the testimoney of ever growing confidence of its customers and tested for more than (28) years.

Bose’s passion towards the automobile industry, a visible mediocre lives and living conditions of transport industry workers prompted ‘Mechanic Bose’ to initiate number of welfare measures for the betterment of the workers.

As a logistics professionals we should take care of drivers (or the supply chain is going to be doomed) said Mr. P. Ramesh Kumar, who is Partner of Navata Road Transport and the Trustee of the Parvataneni Subhaschandra Bose Memorial Driving School.

Our nation is facing a burden of increasing unemployment. Majority educated youth forced to settle for modestly paid clerical jobs, the highly rewarding driving career is often overlooked, creating a dearth of efficient drivers. The few, who aspire to make living out of the driving as their career graduate from being cleaners, get trained in an unprofessional manner leading increased road accidents. Because of these many reasons prompted PSC Bose to create fraternity of professional drivers capable of matching the pace of every advancing technology.

The 5 lack plus truck drivers across India move Indian economy literally. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the TVs we watch, the books we read and the laptops we use are all transported by these unsung heroes. It is they who keep the wheels of the economy of this country moving.

Yet the condition of the road drivers is pathetic. They do not have decent places to rest, perform their ablutions, have to tolerate long queues at checkpoints, frequent stoppages by the RTOs and police and wait for loading and unloading. The incidence of AIDs among drivers is 3 times higher than the average for the others.

The driving school training vehicles having of dual controlling system (steering, clutch, brake, accelerator) specially designed training vehicles, teaching aids, cut models and highly experienced faculty in place to render flawless driving training.

Above all the PSC Bose Memorial Driving School is situated amidst verdant landscape houses comfortable accommodation, playground, mess and follows a stringent curriculum that abides by the regulations laid down by the Transport Authorities. 3 Light Motor Vehicles, 3 Heavy Motor Vehicles are specially designed for training needs. A proper appraisal of health, eyesight, colour blindness before absorbing a student remains the hallmarks of the school.

The various courses offered include 30days Residential Light Motor Vehicle(LMV); 40days Residential Heavy Transport Vehicle(HTV); 3 Days Training in Transportation of Inflammable Goods(such as Petroleum products, gas, acids etc); 1 Day Refresher Course in handling Hazardous Materials and 3day Refresher Course for drivers in unorgnised sector).

The number of trainees graduated since inception in LMV are 1971; HTV 974, Training in Transportation of Inflammable Goods and Hazardous Goods 1278; Refresh course for drivers in unorganised sector 14250 Deserving candidates come here in uniform and go out with licence and life. Each participant is awarded a Certificate and Licence. All the trainees of PSC Bose Memorial Driving School are offered free Training with free food and accommodation. And they have a choice to choose where to work. No one is obligated to work for Navata Road Transport or its associate organisations. PSC Bose Memorial Driving School spends on an average Rs three lakhs every month on these free training programmes.

The students at PSC Bose Memorial Driving School are taught Iinitial gear changing practice to deferrent maneouveres like reversing, Zigjag, S, 8, single road, highway, hill, night and city driving to have thorough driving practice on all types and all conditions. They are also trained on the Road User Behaviour, the need for maintaining good relationships with the society. The participants go through a strict schedule from 6am to 8pm. They are also educated on First-Aid apart from imparting subtle technologies and skills of driving. They are also taught to handle pressure, crisis management, risks associated with alocoholism and drug abuse. The value of knowledge, spoken English, various personality development classes, yoga and education the importance of environmental protection and fuel conservation are well taught.

Volvo India Ltd, Bengalooru has utilised the facilities of the school to train their 378 drivers on their FM 480 Tipper Vehicle. A Trainers Training Programmes was conducted for GATI drivers, Hyderabad Goods Transport Association(HGTA), Rane Brake Lining and others. Many organisations evinced interest in utilizing the school campus at a very marginal fee as oprational cost. It conducted ‘Traffic Safety’ programmes for children of various educational institutions. It also printed and distributed booklets of Traffic Rules and Road Signs to students of schools and colleges.

The School has bagged among many awards IRTE and Prince Micheel International Road Safety Award for the year 2005.

After the visit of the Driving School And Test Driving Track one firmly feels, Yes, we need to empower commercial vehicle drivers with all the essential safety practices so that they face the roads with a much greater responsibility”. Nearly 80% of the road accidents in India are attributed to improper driver. Hence safe driving is the need of the hour.

Better driving practices and improving fuel efficiency is paramount importance. Fleet drivers needs to be trained in improved driving skills, basic mechanics, fuel saving techniques and safe practices. While skills such as safe driving, fuel conservation, repairs and maintenance are taught, other aspects of life on the road are also like trouble shooting, fire-fighting, and first aid are also equally important.

-Nov'2010