16. The Motor Vehicles (Drivers) Amendment Bill - Page 101

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* The Motor Vehicles (Drivers) Amendment Bill

The Honourable Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Labour Member): Sir, I move :

“That the Bill to amend the Motor Vehicles (Drivers) Ordinance, 1942, be taken into consideration.”

This is a simple measure. As the House will remember, there have been several Ordinances by which the services of several persons have been requisitioned by Government.

An Honourable Member : How many in all ?

The Honourable Dr. B.R. Ambedkar : I am afraid I have not got the information but I think the general fact is quite well known. The Ordinance which requisitions the services of motor drivers is one of those. After the Ordinance was passed, it was discovered that there was one provision which was present in other Ordinance, but was absent in the Motor Drivers Ordinance. That provision was that there was not anything in the Ordinance requiring the owner to reemploy a motor driver after his services were dispensed with by the authority which had requisitioned his services. It is to fill this gap that the present Bill has been brought in. The purposes of the amendment are three-fold. The amendment declares the employer’s liability to re-employ a driver where his services have been dispensed with by Government. Secondly, it lays down a method for the settlement of disputes as to the liability of the employer. The Bill provides reference to authority nominated by the Provincial Government on their behalf; and thirdly, there is a penalty for non-compliance with the orders passed by the authority. Other provisions in the Bill relate to the limitations on the right of employment which has been given to a motor driver and they are two *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III, 29th July 1943, p. 178.