The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has stayed a circular issued by the Transport Commissioner that insisted on the applicants’ current and residential address must be the same while applying for driving licence. The circular said that the addresses of office, college, companies and factories would not come under the category of residence.
Nagapattinam Driving Schools’ Association had challenged the circular. The petitioner said that in accordance with the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, smart card-based driving licence was prescribed. Only the residential address of the applicant could be printed under current address and all licensing authorities were instructed not to accept any other proof.
The circular instructed the licensing and the assistant licensing authorities at Regional Transport Offices not to accept any other proof, including notorised affidavit of the applicant’s office address, college, company and factory as they did not fall under the category of residence.
It was pointed during the course of hearing that under Section 8 and 9 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, an applicant could refer the place of residence or where he carried his business or the place of the driving school.
Justice Abdul Quddhose, who heard the case, granted an interim stay and adjourned the hearing in the case to April 25.
