BALING, March 28 — The Road Transport Department Malaysia has introduced new guidelines for the establishment of Driving Institutes (IMs), including allowing training circuits to be built in high-rise buildings, warehouses and commercial premises.
JPJ Director-General Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the guidelines were developed in line with the Motor Vehicles (Driving Schools) Rules 1992 and the Road Transport Act 1987, aimed at strengthening the regulation of the driving institute industry.
He said the move to allow IMs in multi-storey buildings is an innovative solution to address land constraints, particularly in densely populated and high-value urban areas.
“However, strict requirements must be met, including ensuring high levels of safety for candidates, instructors and the public, as well as designing training spaces that are conducive and secure to ensure uninterrupted learning,” he said after attending the opening of the Kuala Ketil Warisan Integriti Driving Institute near here today.
Also present were Kedah JPJ Director Stien Van Lutam and JPJ Director (Driver Licensing) Mohd Kamal Hisham Abu Bakar.
Aedy Fadly said interested parties are welcome to submit applications at any time, including proposals to convert unused land, buildings or large warehouses into driving institutes.
“Even underutilised multi-storey buildings, such as shopping malls, can be considered, subject to compliance with safety requirements. For instance, if circuits are built on rooftops, the structure must be strong and meet all specified standards,” he said.
He noted that such facilities will be limited to Class D and B vehicles, namely cars and motorcycles.
Among other updates, he said, the new guidelines remove the minimum distance requirement between driving institutes, as well as the minimum land size for new developments.
JPJ will instead assess applications based on the capacity and readiness of existing institutes in the area.
Additionally, driving institutes are no longer restricted by geographic zones when accepting candidates, allowing them to enrol learners from any location nationwide. — Bernama
