Odisha Human Rights Commission seeks government report on drivers without papers

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on Saturday directed Traffic DCP and RTOs of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar to submit a report before it by October 14 stating whether persons having no driving licence and insurance certificates will be allowed to drive during the three-month time granted by the state government to obtain or update their document.

The Commission observed that many people are taking wrongful advantage of the grace period granted by the government to apply for licences and other documents. 

OHRC also asked the authorities if checking of overloaded auto-rickshaws is being conducted periodically and action initiated against the erring three-wheeler drivers found to be violating the traffic rules and the registration certificate condition.



The Commission questioned the stand of the state government in case an illegally driven vehicle causes a road mishap and its driver takes the plea that he was driving the vehicle after the relaxation was granted by the Government to obtain the required document.

OHRC Chairperson Justice Bimala Prasad Das and member Asim Amitabh Dash also asked the authorities what will be the legal consequence if a person driving a vehicle without a driving licence causes an accident, whether the insurance company will be liable or not, and if not, then who will pay the compensation to the victim.

This apart, the Chairperson and the member enquired whether the prevailing condition will lead to legal complications for the act of omission and commission on the part of the authorities not going by the rule book, whether the persons not abiding by the rules and attacking the public officials enforcing the law will go unpunished during the grace period and whether the fitness of the vehicles carrying school children is being regularly checked or not. 

This comes after advocate Sivasankar Mohanty filed a petition with the OHRC saying a student died at College Square in Cuttack after being hit by a truck and alleged that the incident occurred due to the negligence on part of the traffic police.

The Commissioner has directed Twin City Police Commissioner to submit a report by October 31 in this regard and also highlight whether any time limit has been fixed for the entry of heavy vehicles into Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and into the residential areas there.

Panel posers

Whether persons without DL and insurance certificates will be allowed to drive during the three-month time granted by the state government to obtain or update their document.

Who will pay compensation in case a vehicle without document causes an accident.

What will be the legal consequence if a person drives a vehicle without DL causes accident.

Whether the persons not abiding by the rules attack officials enforcing the law will go unpunished