We have to realize that getting a licence is a privilege, not a right… A line has to be drawn somewhere.
Ayaz Khan, training manager of Al Khebra Driving School, speaking to Qatar Tribune about a new government ban on driver’s licenses for expats classified as laborers.
The ruling, which has been widely criticized as arbitrary and unfair, was introduced last week in the form of a circular to all driving schools. It is one of several recommendations made by a government committee looking to reduce congestion on Qatar’s overloaded roads.
The ban makes sense, argued Khan, because “laborers,” who often hail from Asian countries, are sometimes unable to read traffic signs in English or Arabic, “and it is not possible to have every road sign written in 20 languages.”
He added that the ban also forces companies to get their paperwork in order, and to not just bring in employees on laborer visas.
However, Khan admitted that his business was still doing well, as laborers accounted for a mere 4 percent of students applying for driver’s licenses.
Thoughts?
Credit: Photo by dr feel gud