Telangana has introduced a logo for identifying vehicles driven by persons with hearing impairment and has become the first state in the country to do so.

Deccan Chronicle reported that the state’s transport department has finalised the logo designed by Hyderabad-based graphic designer Manikanta Annapragada, who incidentally is the first person to obtain a driving license in the ‘hearing impaired’ category.  

The logo was chosen from eight designs submitted by Manikanta himself.

According to the DC report, a hearing impaired mark is part of the logo which has the following text, “Driver is deaf — Please watch out”.

For two-wheelers, the logo should be four inches high and three inches wide on the rear side, and three inches tall and two inches wide on the front.

The logo should be six inches tall and five inches wide at the rear side and four inches tall and three inches wide in the front for four-wheelers.

An official from the state’s transport department told DC that close to 10 persons had applied for learner’s license in the hearing disability category.

Manikanta had obtained his learner’s license on May 5 from the Khairatabad Regional Transport Authority and was granted a permanent license on May 9 from Kondapur RTA.

The Union Transport Ministry in November 2016 had directed all state governments to grant driving licenses to persons with hearing impairment if the driver passes regular tests, noting that driving was a visual skill.