Indians With Mild Or Medium Colour Blindness Can Obtain Driving Licence Now

New Delhi: There is good news for Indian citizens with mild to medium colour blindness: they can obtain a driving licence now.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a notification to this effect, asking for amendment to FORM 1 and FORM 1A of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989.

The ministry has been undertaking several measures to enable divyangjan (persons with disabilities) citizens to avail transport-related services, especially relating to driving licence.

It had earlier issued advisories to facilitate driving licence for the divyangjan and also for people with monocular vision.

All this while, it was difficult for colour blind citizens to obtain a driving licence because of restrictions through requirements in the declaration about physical fitness (FORM I) or the Medical certificate (FORM 1A).

The government sought the opinion of medical expert institution, which recommended that mild to medium colour blind citizens be allowed to drive — like in other parts of the world — while restrictions on driving should be put on only those with severe colour blindness.