Here's why you can't buy vehicles in Tamil Nadu without a driving licence from September 1

If you are in Tamil Nadu and planning to buy a vehicle, probably you will not be able to do so from September 1 unless you have a valid driving license. Yes, you heard it right. 

According to reports, a circular was issued by the transport department in Tamil Nadu to all Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and registered automobile dealers in Tamil Nadu on August 24. It says that people cannot buy a new vehicle or register it without a valid driving license from September 1.

According to the Times of India, Regional Transport Offices (RTO) have been asked to strictly keep a watch on dealers in their jurisdictions to ensure that vehicles are not delivered to owners unless they furnish valid driving license details.

While the legality of such an order is being questioned by many, dealers fear that if implemented, sales of their vehicles will further be hit as they are still reeling from the effect of demonetisation and transformation to BS-IV standards.

"Possession of driving license was never a criterion for buying a vehicle. If so, it would have been included in Form 20 (application for registration of vehicles printed based on MV Act)," the publication quoted S Rajavel, president of Tamil Nadu Automobile Association, as saying.

In another incident, the transport department in Tamil Nadu has also been dragged to the Madras High Court after it made it mandatory to carry original driving license while driving. The move, which warns of stringent action being taken against violators aims at curbing the rising number of road accidents in the state. The city police are expected to enforce this rule as well from September 1.