The Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) was established in 1967 on the joint initiative of the Ministry of Shipping & Transport & the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings. CIRT is committed to improving the efficiency & productivity of the transport sector, with particular emphasis on the STU. CIRT has been offering technical training, consultancy and automobile component testing services to the STU fraternity for the last 45 years.

CIRT offers management development programmes covering general management, transport operations and maintenance engineering. The programmes are meant for practising managers in STUs, other organisations operating transport services besides road transport officials. All programmes are residential and their duration ranges from one week to four weeks. In addition, the Institute undertakes consultancy and research assignments on transport policy, transportation planning, traffic management, maintenance management, materials management, human resource management and management information systems. With the assistance of international agencies such as UNDP and the British Council, CIRT has strengthened its core competence and is now regarded as a major management development centre in the country. CIRT has a sophisticated automobile component testing laboratory, recognised by the Bureau of Indian Standards for testing a wide range of automobile components. ASRTU relies on the test reports of CIRT while awarding rate contracts to automobile component manufacturers. The joint endeavour of ASRTU and CIRT for monitoring the quality of auto parts has stood the test of time and has become an indispensable input for upgrading quality and ensuring cost-effectiveness.

The Institute is an active member of the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) and the Association of Management Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA). The Institutes publications provide a window on the transport industry and are avidly sought by the Planning Commission, World Bank and several other leading national and international organisations. The Indian Journal of Transport Management which is published quarterly has, over the years, become a forum for exchange of ideas not only on road transport but in general management and overall transport policies as well.

CIRT is located on a spacious, verdant campus of 90 acres with modern library, residential and recreational facilities, providing a backdrop for serious study and intellectual pursuit. The Government of India is deputing senior IPS officers for programmes on Traffic and Transportation Management and Improving Managerial Effectiveness Through Inter-personal Skills.

CIRT is also recognised for NABL accreditation as per ISO/IEC 17025:1999 for testing of Tyres, Wheel Rims, Safety Glass, Fabric (woven), Fabric (non-woven), Industrial Textile, Ply Board, Metallography (Metallurgical test), Rubbers, Vibration Test, Battery, Auto Lamps (Photometry) and Metal Analysis (Material Identification). CIRT has set up two centres of special studies with the assistance of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. They are (i) Centre for Road Safety, and (ii) Centre for Transport Policy and Economics. These Centres will develop into think tanks on these subjects in order to produce appropriate reports to enable policy making and its implementation..