Waitlists increase as driving schools works at half capacity

COVID-19 restrictions have led to hundreds of people in Qatar being put on driving schools waitlists., particularly for light vehicles; that’s according to Mohamed Al Zain Ibrahim, Executive Manager of Gulf Driving School.

The situation has only been exacerbated due to the limited number of driving schools in Qatar and the limited capacity of some schools that cannot accommodate student vehicles or extra trainers. 

“We are working now only with 50 percent of our capacity, and the number of learners is witnessing an increase in driving schools. Also there are some learners registered before COVID-19 period and so far did not join the training,” said Ibrahim. 

The General Directorate of Traffic said earlier that it has tightened mechanisms of issuing the driving licence with the aim to decrease the rate of injuries and deaths resulting from traffic accidents. 

Driving schools reopened to the public for on-road training during the third phase of lifting of COVID restrictions in August 2020, having closed down in March 2020. Driving schools were permitted to provide theory classes online from July 1, when the second phase of removing COVID-19 restrictions began.