Taxis, three-wheelers, e-rickshaws and two-wheelers that are employed for food delivery etc no longer require a commercial licence and their private licences will be accepted legally for the same. The government, however, has maintained that a commercial driving licence will remain mandatory for trucks, buses and other heavy commercial vehicles. The road transport ministry issued an advisory to the state governments to follow that Supreme Court order of July 2017. Commercial licences no longer required for taxis, autos will, in turn, ensure increased employment opportunities to lakhs of drivers, ministry officials said.
Getting a commercial driving licence had so far been a necessity for driving a transport vehicle, a process that had people waiting for one year. A commercial driving licence was obtained after the driver received his personal driving licence.
The ministry also hopes that the new order will also bring an end to a lot of corruption involved in obtaining transport or commercial licences. The ministry officials have also suggested that the states must also do away with issuing badges for those driving commercial vehicles.
While the decision comes as a relief to the auto and taxi drivers, there also fears that this will increase congestion on the roads since it'll be easier to bring a taxi or auto or e-rickshaw on the road. However, the ministry believes that more availability of such vehicles on the road will reduce dependence on private vehicles. According to a transport expert, one taxi replaces at least six private cars and an auto can replace over a dozen cars.
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