KOCHI: Realising the challenges posed by inaccessible buildings and other practical difficulties facing differently-abled people while obtaining driving licence, the district administration is considering easing the process by developing regional hubs into one-stop shops for simultaneously completing formalities from issue of medical board certificates to learner’s test.
As a first step, a meeting of Social Justice, Motor Vehicles, and Health departments will be convened at Muvattupuzha on August 17 to explore the scope of making the Muvattupuzha Regional Transport Office (RTO) a hub for driving licence-related formalities for the differently abled hailing from Kothamangalam, Kunnathunadu, Aluva, and Muvattupuzha taluks.
“That the Muvattupuzha RTO is the only RTO in the district that functions on the ground floor makes it accessible to the differently abled. The idea is to conduct the medical board and the medical camp for issuing driving licence simultaneously, so that the differently abled are spared of the trouble of making multiple visits to the RTO for obtaining certificates,” said District Collector K. Mohammed Y. Safirulla. Complaints raised on hardships facing differently-abled people during the recent mass contact programmes convened by the Collector prompted the district administration to explore the idea.
“The medical board can be convened either on accumulation of sufficient number of applications or once in every two or three months, considering that it requires the services of already busy doctors,” Mr. Safirulla said.
Incidentally, a block office building near the Muvattupuzha RTO has been found spacious enough to be developed for conducting the medical board, medical camp, and the learner’s test.
The medical board for issuing certificates to the differently abled is at present conducted only at the Ernakulam General Hospital, and it is usually very hectic. “Besides, the differently abled have to undertake a medical test to secure certificates to the effect that they are fit for driving. A combination of these factors often delays the issue of licence, preventing the differently abled from using the specially altered vehicles provided to them under various schemes,” said Muvattupuzha tahsildar Regi P. Joseph.
Rajeev Palluruthy, State joint secretary of All Kerala Wheel Chair Rights Federation, felt if the proposed experiment at the Muvattupuzha RTO proved successful, a similar hub could be developed at the Ernakulam RTO at Kakkanad for applicants from Kochi, Kanayannur, and Paravur taluks.
