State tells two city driving schools to hit the road

By Charles Sercombe
The state of Michigan has put the brakes on two Hamtramck driving schools.
Two weeks ago, the Michigan Department of State (MDOS) issued a press release saying that the Al Baraka Driving School, located at 11405 Conant, had its operations suspended after failing to maintain and provide required documents and records.
And then last week, the state followed up and closed down another school, called Conant Driving School, this time just down from Al Baraka at 10323 Conant.
Both were cited for failing to keep accurate records, and other issues.
The Al Baraka business looks closed, and is boarded up. State investigators are also reviewing other records to determine potential additional violations.
The Review reached out to the business via email but received no response. However, according to a report on WXYZ Channel 7, a former owner of the school said the paperwork is in order.
The building is boarded up, the former owner said, because there had been a fire. The former owner said he sold the business to his business partner, who is out of town.
On its Facebook page, the school boasts of being “The best driving school in town. Service area Detroit, Hamtramck, Warren, Sterling Hts, Troy, Rochester.”
As for the Conant Driving School, the state charged that the business failed to:
• maintain a record of the instruction given
• obtain a copy of a signed contract
• maintain a safe classroom facility at this location
In a press release, issued by the state, it said:
“Conant Driving School also allegedly misrepresented the quality and quantity of instruction by failing to use the prescribed curriculum. The school gave students a certificate of completion without them having to complete the required 24 hours of classroom instruction.”
It finished by adding, “Anyone affected by the summary suspension should contact the MDOS Driver Education Unit at DriverEd@Michigan.gov or (517) 241-6850 for additional information.”
The state says it is also looking into additional violations.
The owner of the business, Gulam Chowdhoury, told The Review that most of the allegations are “misunderstandings.”
He said the issue with the safety of the classrooms has to do with his heating system, which he is working to fix.
As for maintaining records, he admitted “I did have some problems.”
Chowdhoury said he expects to have everything straightened out within a month or so. In the meantime, he said, he will be visiting Pakistan.
The state says that anyone affected by the suspension and has questions can go online to DriverEd@Michigan.gov, or call (517) 241-6850.
The shutting down of two Hamtramck driver schools comes as the City of Dearborn is cracking down on its driving schools.
Dearborn officials are warning schools that they cannot certify new drivers if they have not met all state requirements.
Complaints in Dearborn have been made that some schools are not requiring road tests, but instead certifying new drivers for a fee, or passing students despite their failed road tests.
Dearborn has also been aggressively cracking down on reckless drivers. Hamtramck police have likewise stepped up on arresting and ticketing reckless drivers.
Residents here have long complained of young men and teens speeding down residential streets and disobeying basic traffic rules, such as stop signs.
Posted march 21, 2025