Mild to medium colour blind people can now obtain driving licence

The government on Friday said those with mild to medium colour blindness can now obtain driving licence.

The Road Transport and Highways Ministry has issued a notification in this regard for necessary amendments in required forms of motor vehicle norms.

“The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a notification for amendment to the Form 1 and Form 1A of the Central Motor Vehicles (CMV) Rules, 1989 for enabling the citizens with mild to medium colour blindness in obtaining the driving licence…,” the ministry said in a statement.

The MoRTH has been taking many measures to enable ‘divyangjan' citizens to avail transport-related services and especially relating to the obtaining of the driving licence, it said. The advisories, the statement said, have been issued in this regard to facilitate driving licence to ‘divyangjan' citizens. Further, an advisory for people with monocular vision has also been issued, it said.

“The ministry received representations that the colour blind citizens are not able to have the driving licence made as restrictions through the requirements in the declaration about physical fitness (FORM 1) or the medical certificate (FORM 1A) makes it difficult,” the statement said.

“The issue was taken up with medical expert institution and advice was sought. The recommendations received were to allow mild to medium colour blind citizens to be allowed to drive and put restrictions only on the severe colour blind citizens from driving,” the statement said. This is also allowed in other parts of the world. Earlier issuing a draft notification in March, the ministry had sought suggestions and comments from various statkeholders for an amendment in Motor Vehicle Rules for enabling such individuals obtain driving licence.

“It was brought to the notice of the ministry that the colour blind citizens were not being able to get the driving licence made although they are able to perform all functions properly except from identifying colours. The matter was sympathetically examined consulting the medical experts,” the ministry had said earlier. It had been reported that the citizens with certain degree of colour blindness can be provided with driving licence and this is being done in many countries of the world, it had said.