Considering PIL for removal of aged drivers: DTC to HC

The DTC has informed the Delhi High Court that it will soon take a decision on a PIL seeking removal of ailing drivers and vehicle examiners aged above 55 years who are still driving its buses.
The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) in its oral submission before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw said it will finalise a policy in this regard at the earliest.
DTC, the main public transport operator of Delhi, made this submission while seeking more time to file its affidavit on the PIL alleging that over-aged drivers and vehicle examiners put theirs as well as public and passengers' lives at risk.

"We are in process of taking a decision. We need some more time to finalise the policy in this regard. It will be done at the earliest," DTC said.
Allowing DTC's request, the court directed it to file its affidavit before December 3, the next date of hearing.
The plea filed by advocate Kamran Malik has alleged that such employees of DTC have also been exempted from medical examinations.

The petitioner has sought a direction to the officials of Delhi government and the DTC for "removing old and ill persons from the duty of driving services".
Those above 55 years of age be deployed on "soft and easy" jobs, the PIL has said.

The plea cited an example of a DTC driver who is suffering from heart ailment but is still driving a vehicle.
"Vehicle examiner Santram is an example of criminal negligence of DTC, which has put the lives of not only the personnel of DTC but passengers and persons on the roads and also in depots where such vehicle examiners are put to driving duties," it said.
"Issue direction to remove from duties the vehicle examiners in DTC who are aged above 55 years and exempted from medical examination... And most of them suffer from serious ailments," it said.