Driving license for LMV to drive a transport vehicle up to 7,500 kg in weight: SC sets January 17, 2024, as a deadline to review the policy

Today, the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice Manoj Misra, Justice PS Narasimha, Justice Hrishikesh Roy, and Justice Pankaj Mithal was hearing a case in which the question of law is “Whether a person holding a driving license in respect of ‘light motor vehicle’, could on the strength of that license, be entitled to drive a ‘transport vehicle of light motor vehicle class’ having unladen weight not exceeding 7500 Kg?” The SC set January 17, 2024, as the deadline to review the policy, allowing a person holding a driving license for LMV to drive a transport vehicle up to 7,500 kg in weight, for the Central government. During the court proceedings, Attorney General of India R Venkataramani told the SC that in order to address the issue the Central Government is considering a comprehensive approach rather than piecemeal amendments. He further added that the same would be wrapped before the budget session of parliament. Following this, the SC today directed the Central government to complete all necessary exercises related to the matter before January 17, 2024.

The SC listed the matter for further consideration on 17 January 2024 and said that the judgment in Mukund Dewangan’s case would prevail unless a decision on the law was reached. In the aforementioned case, SC’s three-judge bench stated that “the gross weight of which does not exceed 7500 kg are not excluded from the definition of LMV”. After hearing all the contentions, the bench ordered, “We are not inclined to adjourn the proceedings sine die as it would not be fair to the insurance companies also and we are insisting that unless we decide the law Mukul Devangan shall hold the field. On January 17 we have listed the arbitration case and we will list this case also on January 17 and we expect that a conclusion will arrive by then. Else it would be pending sine die and then March, April, etc.”