Date:22/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/22/stories/2007062258600500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Plea not to cancel licences of drivers who meet with accidents

Staff Reporter

Forcible retirement of drivers above 58 years resented
CITU members stage protest in front of Collector’s office

CHENNAI: Members of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have demanded that the State Government should not cancel the licences of drivers involved in fatal accidents.

No one drives with an intention of meeting with an accident and cancelling the licences would deliver a blow to their livelihood, said participants at a protest in front of the Chennai Collector’s Office on Tuesday. Over 200 persons affiliated to the CITU raised slogans demanding fair treatment for the drivers.

The CITU members pointed out that the Metropolitan Transport Corporation had recently suspended one of its drivers after he was involved in a fatal accident. The vehicle he was driving had lost control near Koyambedu and ran into a shop killing a person. A notice distributed by the CITU attributed the accident to a break failure and said it was not negligence on the part of the driver.

The union members have also questioned the Government’s act of not renewing the vehicle permits of autorickshaw drivers above the age of 58.

They said several drivers were forced to ply the vehicles to support their families and it was not fair to forcibly retire them.

Meanwhile, a senior transport official said that Regional Transport Officer had quasi-judicial powers to suspend licences.

However, there were provisions for appeal. He also pointed out that only licences of repeat offenders were being revoked.