Soon, no educational qualifications required for transport vehicle drivers: Ministry

After the Rajasthan High Court ordered scrapping of driving licences for the uneducated drivers, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) will now remove the requirement of educational qualifications for a driver of transport vehicles.

The Ministry also tweeted the same announcement on Tuesday evening where it confirmed that the process of amendment to Rule 8 of Central Motor Vehicles 1989 and the draft notification will be issued soon.

The decision, though, could be linked to the recent order by the Rajasthan High Court where it has observed that the uneducated drivers are prone to failing to read signboards, and other signals. The court had ordered cancellation of driver licences of these drivers.

The High Court ruled that an illiterate person is "virtually a menace for pedestrians" and has directed the transport authorities to issue appropriate instructions, lay down guidelines and take necessary actions in cases where licences were issued to people unable to read and write.

From the Central Government's side, the officials argued that the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR) have no provision of a minimum qualification to obtain a driving license.

The officials added that every applicant has to pass the test which comprises reading road and traffic signs and a few objective questions. IANS