HC queries DTC on colour-blind drivers

Delhi High Court today directed the DTC to file a status report on whether colour-blind drivers or those not having valid licenses were driving buses on the roads in the national capital.
A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has not filed a report sought by it and directed it to do so within two weeks.
With the direction, the court listed the matter for further hearing on August 19.
Earlier, DTC had informed the court that 91 of its drivers, who were earlier found to be colour-blind, were at present not driving any of its vehicles.

The court, however, had asked DTC to file a detailed status report on the issue.
The court was hearing petitions by NGOs Azaad Dasta Sankalp Hamara and Nav Jagrity Manch alleging that many DTC drivers were unfit to drive as they were colour-blind and several others did not have valid driving licenses.

The court on March 29 had also sought response from Delhi government on the "exact nature of test conducted by DSSSB" while hearing a plea alleging that many drivers of DTC do not have valid driving licences.
The PILs have alleged that most of the over 4000 DTC drivers recruited in 2007-08 were colour-blind and sought their medical re-examination.

They further alleged that of the 4,415 drivers recruited in 2008, over 850 were found to be medically unfit by the DTC medical board.
Thereafter, another medical board was constituted and about 56 candidates, who were earlier found unfit, were examined by Guru Nanak Eye Centre which had declared majority of them as fit, the petition had said.
The NGOs have contended that most of the over 850 drivers, found medically unfit by DTC medical board, were suffering from eye defects, including colour-blindness.
They have also alleged that according to reports, several DTC drivers have been found to have fake driving licenses and FIRs had been registered against several such persons.