TOP COURT DEFERS HEARING IN LMV DRIVING LICENCE CASE TILL JULY

NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court Constitution bench on Tuesday adjourned the hearing in connection with a batch of petitions seeking reversal of a 2017 decision permitting light motor vehicle (LMV) license holders to drive transport vehicles, till July.

The development came after the Centre told the court that it intends to bring changes to the law by introducing two sets of LMV licenses for vehicles having threshold weight of 3,500 and 7500 kilograms. Attorney general R Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, presented a note to the court containing details of the proposed amendments to the Act which are awaiting the nod of the Parliament soon after the conclusion of general elections. The bench, headed by CJI Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, deferred the hearing in the case till July 30 allowing sufficient time for the Parliament to take a call on the proposed amendments suggested by the ministry of road transport and highways.

The bench said, “Ultimately whatever the Parliament decides will be before us. We do not know if the proposed amendments will be accepted.” The court urged the AG to ask the ministry for taking necessary action and propose an arrangement for those who have obtained license under the 2017 judgment, which continues to hold the field.

The changes intended to be introduced in the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 will be crucial to decide a set of 75 petitions filed in the top court by insurance companies, which have challenged the correctness of the 2017 ruling in Mukund Dewangan vs Oriental Insurance permitting LMV license holders to drive any vehicle with a laden weight of up to 7500 kilograms.