Response

As per a Supreme Court order, you can drive taxis and light motor vehicles, being used for commercial purposes, on a private licence. However, in order to drive trucks, buses and other medium and heavy commercial vehicles, you need to carry a valid commercial vehicle licence.

Documents Required for Commercial Driving License
Address Proof (Passport, ration card, voter id, aadhaar card or utility bills in the applicant’s name)
Identity Proof (Passport, PAN card, voter id, aadhaar card, birth certificate or 10th grade mark sheet)
Form 2.
Form 1A.
Form 5.
Passport size photographs.
Application Fee.

To ensure compliance with a Supreme Court order, the government has asked states to allow drivers to use private licence for driving taxis and light vehicles for commercial purposes. However, commercial driving licences are required for trucks, buses and other medium and heavy commercial vehicles.

If you want a heavy licence, apply online by visiting sarathi.parivahan.gov.in which is the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways website. You can look up the ‘apply online’ section on the home page. Choose the ‘new driving licence’ option, and the instructions to fill in the form will appear on your screen.

No separate endorsement needed to drive light motor vehicles, says Ministry. Cab drivers, including those of aggregators Uber, Ola, car-pooling service BlaBlaCar, and yellow-black taxis, will no longer require a special endorsement from transport offices to drive vehicles for commercial purposes.

Reference: Motor Vehicle Act, 1988

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