Driving licences to be issued to persons with hearing impairment in Sindh

CM Murad directs for necessary amendments to be made in Motor Vehicles Ordinance

KARACHI: The Sindh Chief Minister (CM) Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that various countries issue driving licences to persons with hearing impairment so Pakistan should also start issuing the same.

He directed Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah to seek opinions of the driving licence branch and traffic police and then make necessary amendments in the law so that persons with hearing impairment could be issued driving licences.



The CM, in a letter to the chief secretary, said that persons with hearing impairment form a sizeable number of the Pakistani disabled population. However, they are also involved in an active life and play an important role in the progress of Pakistan.

The CM said that Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees 'Equality of Citizens before law and all citizens are entitled to equal protection of law with no discrimination on any basis', while Article 18 guarantees 'Freedom of Trade, Business or Profession'. He added that following the spirit of the law, the newly promulgated 'Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2018' also calls for 'Equality and non-discrimination of Persons with Disabilities' (Section 3), 'Ease of access and mobility' (Section 6) and 'Public facilities and services' (Section 2 (v)).

Furthermore, the CM added that the United Nations Convention on Rights of the Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) provides for the right to 'Equality and non-discrimination for all people with disabilities' - including deaf persons and requires they have equal protection and benefit under law.

The letter says that at present, persons with hearing impairment are disqualified for issuance of driving licence by the Second Schedule of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965 (amended from time to time). Section 7(5) of the ordinance says, 'Disease and disabilities absolutely disqualifying a person for obtaining a licence to drive a motor vehicle.

They are Epilepsy, Lunacy, heart disease likely to produce sudden attack of giddiness or fainting; inability to distinguish with each eye at a distance of 25 yards in good daylight (with the aid of glasses, if worn) a series of seven letters and figures in white on a black ground of the same size and arrangement as those of the registration mark of a motor car.

A degree of deafness, which prevents the applicant from hearing, without hearing aids, the ordinary sound signals. Colour blindness or inability readily to distinguish the pigmentary colours red and green; Night blindness.'

The CM said that throughout the world, countries in all major continents issue driving licences to the deaf. They include North America (United States of America, Canada, Mexico), South America (Brazil, Chile, Argentina etc.), European Union (all countries), Australia, Asia & Middle East (India, Japan, New Zealand, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Malaysia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Russia, Uzbekistan etc.), Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria etc.)
Shah said that that the issuance of driving licence to deaf persons would lead to a myriad of socio-economic benefits. He added that firstly, it would be an implementation of guarantees provided in the Constitution, ordains of the relevant statute and the declaration in the UN CRPD regarding the equality of the hearing-impaired persons, which would in turn make them feel empowered and motivated.

Secondly, the hearing-impaired persons would get ease of access and mobility, as they would be able to move freely in their own vehicles without being a burden on anyone. Thirdly, the hearing-impaired persons would be able to make a livelihood by getting employed in jobs, which require driving skills such as drivers, transportation of goods, delivery persons, courier services etc.

The CM directed the chief secretary that necessary amendments in the Second Schedule of the Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965 may be made to allow issuance of commercial/private driving licences to hearing-impaired persons.

On the directives of the CM, Syed Qasim Naveed, CM's Special Assistant for `Programs Related to Differently-Abled Persons', has prepared a summary for the CM.

In the summary, the CM has directed the chief secretary to discuss the matter with the driving licence branch experts and traffic police and then put up a recommendation for the amendment in the law so that licences may be issued.