Srinagar, Apr 23: On the directions of High Court, the Transport Department has ‘brought three districts within the computerization programme making available online all the details of driving licences.”
 The department today pleaded before the court that it would complete computerization of another six districts by August end.
 Commissioner Secretary Transport, Pradeep Gupta and Transport Commissioner, Mehraj Ahmad Kakru informed the court that the “hardware has been already supplied to ARTOs and software stands loaded and the whole process is likely to be completed within timeframe fixed by the court vide order dated Feb 16, 2012.”
 Pertinently, earlier court had observed that in a number of cases the accident victims and/or their dependents are left without any remedy against the Insurance Company where the offending driver is found to have invalid and defective license.
 On February 16, the Court had directed the department to keep available online details of all the licenses issued in J&K.
 Showing concern to the rising rate of accidents, single bench of Justice Hasnain Massodi had directed the authorities to place all material including particulars like name, parentage, etc, on the official or any website set up by the Transport Department.
 Court had observed: “One of the objects of the Motor Vehicles Act is to ensure that the victims of vehicular accidents or their dependents get compensation. To achieve the object, the Act makes it mandatory for the owners of vehicles to have the insurance cover so that the victims or their dependents claim compensation from the Insurance Company with which the offending vehicle is registered.”
 “However, the object gets frustrated and the victim and their dependents left without any remedy against the Insurance Company where the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident is found to have invalid and defective license.”
 The court held where an owner employs driver without license, with fake or ineffective license he commits breach of insurance contract giving reason to Insurance Company to escape its liability to indemnify the owner on the ground of such breach.
  “A vehicle owner has no access to the official record so as to satisfy himself whether the driving license produced before him by a person seeking employment as driver is genuine and effective,” it observed.
 “It would be a big hassle for the owner to make rounds of the office of Regional Transport Offices in the State to find out whether the driving license produced before him is genuine and fit.”
 The court had observed that keeping all licenses Online would help the owners to verify the veracity of the license before engaging a driver that in turn would help the victims to get compensation from the insurance companies.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST