Hyderabad: Driving licences issued in Telangana do not include a person’s blood group, which many people believe is an important and life-saving detail. Vehicle owners, cab drivers, and road safety experts are upset that the Transport Department has made blood group information optional instead of mandatory.
Although the Motor Vehicle Act requires applicants to mention their blood group in Form 1-A during the application process, this detail is often left off the final licence. The rule was created to help during emergencies, especially in road accidents, but it is not being followed properly.
Some applicants say they included their blood group in the application form, but it did not appear on their new licences. Kamble Shekhar, who recently renewed his licence at the Nagole RTA, said his previous licence had his blood group printed, but the new one did not.
Another applicant, M Dayanand, also noticed that his newly issued licence from the RTA-Hyderabad North Zone lacked the blood group detail, even though he had clearly mentioned it in his application.
Dayanand, who is also the general secretary of the Telangana Auto and Motor Welfare Union, questioned why the blood group detail is optional in Telangana when states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Goa include it on their licences. He stressed that this information could make a big difference in emergencies.
Road safety experts agree. They say that knowing a victim’s blood group can save valuable time and possibly a life during an emergency. When accident victims are unconscious and cannot speak for themselves, doctors face delays and difficulties trying to find out their blood type.
The Telangana State Taxi and Drivers Association also supports making blood group information mandatory. Its president, Shaik Salauddin, pointed out that the blank space beside the blood group field on the licence is being wasted. He said they have raised this issue several times, but the authorities have not taken any action.
During the time ESL Narasimhan was the Governor of Telangana, he suggested that RTA officials must include blood group details on driving licences. At that time, officials agreed and began printing this information. However, the newest licences no longer show the blood group.
A Transport Department officer said that applicants must clearly mention their blood group when booking a slot for their driving test. He added that the department will work on fixing these issues to avoid mistakes in the future.
