RIYADH - Driving lessons are a must now to get a drivers license, according to the Directorate General of Traffic (Muroor).

Earlier, anyone wishing to obtain a driving license had to give driving test. But now no new license will be issued unless the applicant attends driving lessons ranging between 30 and 120 hours, Makkah Arabic newspaper reported on Monday.

Brig. Mohammed Al-Bassami, Muroor spokesman, said there will be 90 hours of rigorous training for those who are not good drivers while those who can drive properly will get 30 hours of lessons.

Training sessions will increase to 120 hours for those wishing to obtain general driving license but are not good drivers.

The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) has announced that it will organize driving lessons for female students in various colleges in the Kingdom.

Last month a Royal decree was issued allowing women to drive. A committee has been formed to implement the ruling and it will present recommendations. Then the government will have until June 24, 2018, to implement the decree.

Allowing women to drive will not only save money but also simplify the lives of working Saudi women who currently rely on either their male relatives or private hires transportation to get them to and from work.

With a female population of 14.8 million, experts see a market for driving schools for women.

A national transportation company has trained 30 women drivers and educated them about traffic regulations and safety and security precautions.

The company said it has offered 150 openings for both Saudi men and women in database service, customer service and telecommunications.

The women drivers will begin working once the Ministry of Transport and the Traffic Department put the new traffic regulations in place.

The conditions the women drivers have to meet include obtaining a drivers license and owning a car or producing an affidavit from husband or a family member allowing them to use their car.

The company also said it had received job applications from women candidates in different age groups. From women in their 20s to those in their 50s have applied to work as drivers for the company.



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