Verification of drivers must for vehicle owners: HC

Chandigarh, The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that the vehicle owners will be required to get licences of their drivers verified within 30 days of hiring their services.Recommendations to this effect “for necessary action” have been made to the Law Commission and other authorities not just in case of government agencies, but also private employers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Justice Jitendra Chauhan has also directed for prosecution of drivers found using fake licences, even if they were acquitted in road accident cases.Justice Chauhan has also suggested that the Centre should come out with a mechanism for enabling state authorities to verify at the click of a button the genuineness of licences issued in any part of the country. Justice Chauhan has issued six such suggestions and commandments.Justice Chauhan has suggested that the mechanism could be in the form of software accessible to the state authorities and the Central Government. He has also suggested simplification of the verification procedure by allowing “private citizens” to get printed verification report on authenticity of driving licence by just entering the details.The judge said where the licence was found to be fake during proceedings before the motor accidents claims tribunal, the state was under an obligation to file a complaint or register an FIR for cheating and forgery under Sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC against the driver. The process was to be followed, even if the driver was acquitted in the criminal trial for accident under Sections 279 and 304 of the IPC.Justice Chauhan asserted: “After appointment/ engaging of a driver, the owner shall seek information under the RTI Act /or any other provision available immediately regarding the genuineness of the driving licence from the office of the issuing authority within 30 days from the date of such appointment/ engagement.”