The Delhi High Court strongly criticized the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) for appointing a color-blind individual as a bus driver. The court expressed dismay that the person had been permitted to drive buses for a period of three years (2008-2011), highlighting potential risks to public safety. Color-blind individuals face difficulty distinguishing between colors, particularly red and green.
Justice Chandra Dhari Singh expressed deep disappointment at the apparent “negligence” exhibited by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). The court’s comment was made in response to a petition filed by the DTC, which sought to address the termination of the color-blind driver in January 2011 following an accident.
The court emphasized that the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) must exercise caution in ensuring the suitability of its drivers and raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding the appointment of the color-blind driver.
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“The petitioner authority should have taken diligent measures to ensure that its driver met all necessary criteria for the position. Therefore, this Court is now seeking clarification on why and under what circumstances the petitioner department appointed the respondent without adequately considering public safety. Such actions may have serious implications for public safety,” stated the court in a recent order.
The court expressed deep concern over the “appalling situation” where the color-blind respondent served as a driver for the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) from 2008 to 2011. It was revealed that the individual, despite being color-blind, was recruited based on a medical certificate from Guru Nanak Hospital.
The court criticized the DTC for relying on this certificate, considering it a “wrongful action” and contradictory to its own medical department’s test certificate. The court was dismayed that the DTC did not properly evaluate the medical fitness of the driver and others appointed based on the report from Guru Nanak Eye Centre.
Highlighting the delayed establishment of an independent medical board by the DTC in 2013, the court referred to it as a “sorry state of affairs.” Justice Singh directed the DTC chairperson to submit a personal affidavit after a thorough investigation. Additionally, the court requested details about the officer responsible for the 2008 recruitment decision.
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