Section 11, 12, 14, 15, 19 and 25a of the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019

Amendment of section 11

7. In section 11 of the principal Act,- (i) in sub-section (1), for the words "the licensing authority having jurisdiction in the area", the words "any licensing authority in the State" shall be substituted; (ii) in sub-section (2), the following proviso shall be inserted, namely:- "Provided that the licensing authority may, before issuing the license verify the identity of the applicant in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government.".

Amendment of section 12

8. In section 12 of the principal Act, after sub-section (4), the following sub-sections shall be inserted, namely:- "(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision, where any school or establishment has been accredited by a body notified by the Central Government under any other law for the time being in force, any person who has successfully completed a training module at such school or establishment covering a particular type of motor vehicle shall be eligible to obtain a driving licence for such type of motor vehicle. (6) The curriculum of the training module referred to in sub-section (5) and the remedial driver training course referred to in sub-section (5) of section 9 shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government and that Government may make rules for the regulation of such schools or establishments.".

Amendment of section 14

9. In section 14 of the principal Act, in sub-section (2),-
(i) in clause (a),-

(A) for the words "three years", the words "five years" shall be substituted;

(B) in the proviso, for the portion beginning with the words "one year" and ending with the word "and" the words "three years and renewal thereof shall be subject to such conditions as the Central Government may prescribe; and", shall be substituted;

(ii) for clause (b), the following clause shall be substituted, namely:-
"(b) in the case of any other licence, subject to such conditions as the Central Government may prescribe, if the person obtaining the licence, either originally or on renewal thereof,-

(i) has not attained the age of thirty years on the date of issue or, renewal thereof, be effective until the date on which such person attains the age of forty years; or

(ii) has attained the age of thirty years but has not attained the age of fifty years on the date of issue or, renewal thereof, be effective for a period of ten years from the date of such issue or renewal; or

(iii) has attained the age of fifty years but has not attained the age of fifty-five years on the date of issue or, renewal thereof, be effective until the date on which such person attains the age of sixty years; or

(iv) has attained the age of fifty-five years on the date of issue or as the case may be, renewal thereof, be effective for a period of five years from the date of such issue or renewal.";

(iii) the proviso shall be omitted

Amendment of section 15

10. In section 15 of the principal Act,-

(i) in sub-section (1), in the first proviso, for the words "more than thirty days", the words "either one year prior to date of its expiry or within one year" shall be substituted;

(ii) in sub-section (3), for the words "thirty days", the words "one year" shall be substituted; and

(iii) in sub-section (4),-
(a) for the words "thirty days", the words "one year" shall be substituted;
and

(b) in the second proviso for the words "five years after the driving license has ceased to be effective, the licensing authority may", the words "one year after the driving licence has ceased to be effective, the licensing authority shall" shall be substituted.

Amendment of section 19

11. In section 19 of the principal Act,- (i) after sub-section (1), the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely:- "(1A) Where a licence has been forwarded to the licensing authority under sub-section (4) of section 206, the licensing authority, if satisfied after giving the holder of the driving licence an opportunity of being heard, may either discharge the holder of a driving licence or, it may for detailed reasons recorded in writing, make an order disqualifying such person from holding or obtaining any licence to drive all or any class or description of vehicles specified in the licence-

(a) for a first offence, for a period of three months;
(b) for a second or subsequent offence, with revocation of the driving licence of such person:

Provided that where a driving licence is revoked under this section, the name of the holder of such driving licence may be placed in the public domain in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government.";

(ii) in sub-section (2),-
(a) after the word, brackets and figure "sub-section (1)", the words, brackets, figure and letter "or sub-section (1A)" shall be inserted;

(b) for the proviso, the following proviso shall be substituted, namely:-

"Provided that the driving licence shall be returned to the holder at the end of the period of disqualification only if he successfully completes the driver refresher training course.";

(iii) after sub-section (2), the following sub-sections shall be inserted, namely:-
"(2A) The licence holder whose licence has been suspended shall undergo the driver refresher training course from a school or establishment licenced and regulated under section 12 or such other agency, as may be notified by the Central Government.

(2B) The nature, syllabus and duration of the driver refresher training course shall be such as may be prescribed by the Central Government.";

(iv) in sub-section (3), after the word, brackets and figure "sub-section (1)", the words, brackets, figure and letter "or sub-section (1A)" shall be inserted

Insertion of new section 25A

12. After section 25 of the principal Act, the following section shall be inserted, namely:-

National Register of Driving Licences

"25A. (1) The Central Government shall maintain a National Register of Driving Licences in such form and manner as may be prescribed. (2) All State Registers of Driving Licences shall be subsumed under the National Register of Driving Licences by a date to be notified by the Central Government. (3) No driving licence issued, or renewed, under this Act shall be valid unless it has been issued a unique driving licence number under the National Register of Driving Licences. (4) All State Governments and licensing authorities under this Act shall transmit all information including contained data in the State Register of Driving Licences in such form and manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government. (5) The State Governments shall be entitled to access the National Register and update their records in such manner as may be prescribed by the Central Government.".