Door opens for hearing impaired to obtain light vehicle driving licences

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama  

The Transport and Highways Ministry today launched their pilot programme to issue light vehicle driving licenses for the hearing impaired in the Gampaha District. 

Temporary driving licenses for practical training (Learner Permit) were issued at the Motor Traffic Department’s Gampaha office by Transport State Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna today.  

On November 6, the medical examination and written test for applicants for a driver’s license were conducted. 76 people appeared for the written test, and 44 passed.  
The permanent license will be issued to them on completion of a three month practical training.  

According to the records of the Department of Statistics, there are about 388,000 people with hearing impairments in the country, and 39,000 of them live in the Gampaha District.  
It is also reported that nearly 1,000 hearing impaired people from around the country have applied for driving licenses.  

Even though the hearing impaired people applied for the driving licenses to facilitate their work, they were not processed. However, the National Federation of the Deaf said that they were able to obtain permits with the intervention of the minister.