HC issues interim stay order: Licence no longer needed to buy your new two-wheeler
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday issued a stay order on the circular issued by the state Transport department regarding prohibition of two-wheeler sales without customers showing valid driving licences.
The Transport department had issued letters to the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), directing them to ensure that motorcycles and scooters are being sold only to those who hold a valid two-wheeler driving licence.
Following the directive, all the RTOs of the state issued a letter to the two-wheeler showrooms, ordering them not to sell any two-wheeler without the buyers showing a valid driving licence.
After implementation of this order, the showrooms found themselves facing loss, as a large number of buyers, especially first-timers, do not hold a valid driving licence. Following this, an association of the two-wheeler selling showrooms filed a petition at the Calcutta High Court against the mandate.
On Tuesday following the hearing, Justice Harish Tandon issued an interim stay order on the process. As per Justice Tandon, the reasons are not valid enough to consider such a notification. The next hearing of the case will take place in November.
On July 4 this year, the Transport department had issued a notification based on the Central Motor Vehicle Act, not to sell any two-wheeler without buyers showing valid two-wheeler driving licences.
Before the stay order issued by Justice Tandon, a person interested in buying a motorcycle or scooter had to produce a valid two-wheeler driving licence to the dealer, who in turn used to send the documents to the RTO.
The applicants also had to appear before the RTO on a designated date and show the original driving licence. Only after the clearance given by the RTO, the dealer could sell a two-wheeler to the person.
During the period before the interim stay order, a large number of customers were rejected by the dealers. During this period, the trend of buying a second-hand two-wheeler saw a surge.
