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AyRojgar

Driving school

A motor driving training institute. A BRTA licence is compulsory, registration costs Tk 15,000, and only 152 schools are registered in the whole country.

  • Last reviewed: 19 September 2026
  • Version 1
Starting capital
৳4,00,000 – ৳20,00,000
Editorial estimate
Manpower
2 – 8 people
First sale
45 – 120 days
Editorial estimate
Break-even
10 – 24 months
Editorial estimate
Kind of work
Shop · Medium difficulty

What the business is

The licence is the real barrier. Section 63(1) of the Road Transport Act 2018 says plainly that no person or institution may set up or run a motor driving training school without the Authority's licence, and section 96 punishes a breach with a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh and immediate closure by the Authority. BRTA's fee schedule puts driving school registration at Tk 15,000 with an inspection fee of Tk 750. The instructor's licence is separate: BRTA's citizen's charter lists it at Tk 2,300 including VAT, issued in 30 working days, and requires a professional licence, three years of heavy-vehicle experience and SSC or equivalent. The market is not small but supply is astonishingly thin - BRTA's own list shows just 152 registered driving training schools in the whole country against 6,724,647 registered motor vehicles up to May 2026. The biggest news is from 22 October 2025, when the adviser to the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry said that in future a driving licence will require 60 hours of training at a recognised centre, that the licensing committee is being abolished and that most of BRTA's work will be handed to driving institutes. If that takes effect, every new driver must pass through a school.

Unit economics

ItemRangeEvidenceSuggest a correction
Monthly working capital৳60,000 – ৳3,00,000Editorial estimate
Selling price৳9,000 – ৳15,000 / unitEditorial estimate
Variable cost৳3,350 – ৳5,075 / unitOfficial source
Gross margin63% – 66%Editorial estimate
Time to first revenue45 – 120 daysEditorial estimate
Break-even time10 – 24 monthsEditorial estimate
Cash cycle0 – 15 daysEditorial estimate
Waste / loss5% – 10%Editorial estimate
Daily capacity0.4 – 2Editorial estimate

What you need to start

  • A training vehicle, dual-control brakes and a current fitness certificate. Fitness issue and renewal is Tk 900 for heavy vehicles and Tk 450 for others, plus a Tk 450 inspection fee.Equipment
  • A motor driving training school licence from BRTA: application on Form-36, licence on Form-37, registration fee Tk 15,000 (effective from 01-01-2014) and inspection fee Tk 750. The legal basis is section 63(1) of the Road Transport Act 2018; running without it carries a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh and immediate closure under section 96.Licence
  • A driving instructor licence from BRTA: the citizen's charter lists Tk 2,300 including VAT in 30 working days, requiring a professional driving licence, three years of heavy-vehicle experience and SSC or equivalent with technical knowledge. Application on the ILA form under rule 25(3) of the Motor Vehicles Rules 1984, with an oral and practical board examination under rule 25(5).Licence
  • Trade licence from the city corporation or municipality: form Tk 10, licence book Tk 50, standard tax Tk 30, stamp Tk 150-300, licence fee Tk 100-60,000 by trade type.Licence
  • Teaching road signs and traffic law, and teaching driving - the syllabus has both halves. Under section 63(4) the instructor's licence, the syllabus and the training method are to be fixed by rules.Skill
  • A classroom and a training ground or open space. BRTA inspects the premises before issuing the licence, so the place must be ready first.Workspace

How the work runs

  1. 1Do not start without the licence. Section 63(1) of the Road Transport Act 2018 bars setting up or running a driving training school without the Authority's licence, and section 96 provides a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh and immediate closure.
  2. 2Apply on Form-36 at the BRTA divisional office - the application to establish and run a motor driving training school. The licence comes on Form-37, issued by the divisional Director (Engineering).
  3. 3Deposit the Tk 15,000 registration fee and the Tk 750 inspection fee. BRTA will come and inspect, so have the training ground, the vehicle and the classroom ready before you apply.
  4. 4Fix your instructor and get him licensed. BRTA's citizen's charter puts the instructor licence at Tk 2,300 including VAT in 30 working days, requiring a professional driving licence, three years of heavy-vehicle experience and SSC or equivalent with technical knowledge.
  5. 5Arrange the training vehicle and keep its fitness current: issue and renewal is Tk 900 for heavy vehicles and Tk 450 for others, plus a Tk 450 inspection fee.
  6. 6Get the student's learner licence: Tk 518 for one class, Tk 748 for two, valid six months. Renewal after expiry is Tk 288.
  7. 7Build the syllabus in two parts - reading road signs and operating the vehicle correctly. That is exactly how the ministry adviser described it on 22 October 2025, announcing that 60 hours of training will be made compulsory.
  8. 8Check the student's eligibility first: minimum age 18 for non-professional and 21 for professional, a pass in class eight or equivalent, and physical and mental fitness. Without these the training fee is wasted.
  9. 9Prepare students for the competency test and tell them up front what failing costs: Tk 230 per class for a re-test. A good pass rate brings customers by word of mouth.
  10. 10Warn the student that the card can take time. A Prothom Alo report of 27 October 2024 found more than 625,000 applicants waiting for smart card licences, some for three years.
  11. 11Target institutions and outbound workers separately. Section 13(1) bars employing or letting anyone drive without a valid licence and 13(2) requires a written contract and appointment letter under the Labour Act for public transport drivers, so companies have their own reason to train drivers.

Seasons

  1. JanNormal
  2. FebNormal
  3. MarNormal
  4. AprNormal
  5. MayNormal
  6. JunNormal
  7. JulNormal
  8. AugNormal
  9. SepNormal
  10. OctNormal
  11. NovNormal
  12. DecNormal
HighNormalLow

Where it fits

  • Strong fitChattogram · A port and heavy-vehicle hub, so demand for professional licences is high, and that is where an instructor's heavy-vehicle experience pays.
  • Strong fitDhaka · The country's biggest vehicle market and BRTA's headquarters: the greatest demand for new drivers, and the institutional training work is here too.
  • Strong fitGazipur · Dense with factories and transport firms, which section 13(1) obliges to employ licensed drivers.
  • Strong fitNarayanganj · An industrial and freight centre with steady demand for heavy-vehicle drivers.
  • PossibleBogura · The transport and trading centre of the north, drawing students from neighbouring districts.
  • PossibleCumilla · Strong demand for professional licences from people going abroad, plus the transport trade along the Dhaka-Chattogram highway.
  • PossibleKhulna · The port and freight traffic create demand for heavy-vehicle drivers.
  • PossibleRangpur · A divisional city with a BRTA office, but lower incomes keep fees down.
  • PossibleSylhet · Remittance households own more private cars, so there is non-professional demand and a better ability to pay.
  • Weak fitBandarban · Few registered vehicles, and flat ground suitable for training is hard to find in the hills.

Risks and cautions

  • HighCompliance: The penalty for running without a licence is immediate. Breaching section 63(1) attracts a fine of up to Tk 1 lakh under section 96, and the Authority 'may immediately close that driving training school'. No court is needed; the power to shut sits with the Authority. With only 152 registered schools in the country, the number teaching without registration is certainly far larger, and all of them fall under this section.
  • HighCompliance: The rule is changing and it is not yet clear which way. On 22 October 2025 the adviser to the Road Transport and Bridges Ministry said a licence will require 60 hours of training at a recognised centre, that the government will arrange that training and pay trainees an allowance, and that BRTC, army and police institutions exist alongside private ones which will be encouraged. Demand could rise enormously, but you would be competing with state and armed forces centres that pay their trainees. What 'recognised' will require has not been announced.
  • HighDependency: The last step of your product is not in your hands. The student may learn, but BRTA issues the licence, and when that is delayed the school gets the blame. A Prothom Alo report of 27 October 2024 found more than 625,000 applicants waiting for smart cards, some for three years, and on 25 August 2026 the government had to extend penalty-free renewal again, to 29 October. The system is under strain.
  • MediumWorking capital: The vehicle and the fuel are both paid for up front. Diesel is government-fixed at Tk 115 a litre from 1 June 2026, octane Tk 145 and petrol Tk 140. If 60 hours becomes compulsory the fuel cost per student rises sharply, while the fee is collected before or in instalments.
  • MediumDemand: Student eligibility itself shrinks the market. Section 6(2) requires a minimum age of 18 for non-professional and 21 for professional licences, and a pass in class eight or equivalent for both. Many willing drivers fail the education condition and cannot be licensed however well they are trained, so the school must check before enrolling.

Sources

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