NEW DELHI: The government proposes to dilute the norms for issuing licences for all commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses, trailers and taxis, by doing away with the “minimum educational qualification” norm. At present, all applicants need to have minimum qualification of having cleared Class-VIII.
The road transport ministry issued a draft notification last week to amend the Motor Vehicle Rules proposing that those who pass the objective & practical driving test and can read one Indian language are eligible to get such licences.
Road crashes involving heavy commercial vehicles claimed the lives of nearly 48,000 people in 2014.
The draft notification also proposes major leeway for owners of long-haul trucks, trailers and buses, which are now bound to deploy two drivers in each such vehicle to ensure that they are not overworked. The draft rules have left it to the discretion of the owners.