Steps to make obtaining driving licences easier and more accessible for persons with disabilities, including simplifying medical examinations, expanding eligible vehicle categories and improving regional services, have come under discussion by a special parliamentary committee.
The special committee, appointed by the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Transport, Highways and Urban Development to address difficulties faced by persons with disabilities in obtaining driving licences, recently held its first meeting in Parliament.
The committee focused on practical and legal obstacles faced by persons with disabilities when applying for driving licences, as well as issues surrounding the modification and use of vehicles according to individual disabilities.
Particular attention was given to medical examinations conducted by the National Transport Medical Institute (NTMI), recommendations issued according to the nature of an applicant’s disability and the subsequent procedure for issuing driving licences.
The possibility of conducting medical examinations at the district level was also discussed as part of efforts to make the process more accessible.
The committee further considered expanding the types of vehicles for which licences could be issued to persons with visual impairments, taking into account medical criteria such as an individual’s field of vision.
Installing appropriate safety equipment in vehicles and amending relevant Gazette notifications were among the other measures discussed.
The legal framework governing driving licences for persons with hearing impairments also came under consideration, including the use of special identification signs and assistance from sign-language interpreters.
Attention was also given to establishing procedures for modifying vehicles according to the individual requirements arising from a person’s disability.
Among the proposals put forward were allowing one individual to obtain licences covering multiple vehicles, simplifying the medical examination process and improving the online system connecting the NTMI and the Department of Motor Traffic.
The committee also stressed the need to amend relevant Gazette notifications, expand services at the regional level and improve awareness among institutions involved in the driving licence process.
Members emphasised that further measures should ensure the transportation rights of persons with disabilities while maintaining road safety.
MPs Sugath Wasantha de Silva, Dinesh Hemantha and M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani participated in the meeting, along with officials from the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development and other relevant representatives. (Newswire)
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