More job categories to be excluded from driving licence

To allay traffic congestion woes, more job categories are likely to be declared ineligible for light-vehicle licences in addition to existing list of above 180 jobs already banned from having the permission. This is being done as part of a national strategy to address traffic congestion, a senior official at General Directorate of Traffic Department told The Peninsula.

“Currently, the demand of driving licence is very high and there are many categories of jobs which will be banned from getting car driving licence,” the official said.

“The department is waiting for the completion of mega urban projects and once they like roads and bridges are completed, the department can relax the policy,” the official further said.

He clarified that the categories of jobs which could be banned in near future included jobs relating to administration. “These categories don’t require a driving licence as the companies are supposed to provide them with transportation,” the source said.
The department has already banned more than 180 categories of jobs which include a number of professions.

The job categories already banned from getting driving licences include grocer, butcher, tailor, goldsmith, agricultural worker, decoration technician, mining technician, beautician, mechanic, newspaper vendor, barber, servant, cosmetologist, security guard, porter, shepherd etc.

“At the time when we have banned many jobs categories from getting light-vehicle licences, we have allowed all categories to take motorcycle licences. Also, heavy-vehicle licences are allowed for workers”, said the official.

“Until now, the demand of motorcycle license is low. We are encouraging all youth to take it. There are about 50percent of Qatari youth driving motorcycles without licences, and this is very dangerous and pose serious risk to their lives and lives of other people”, he revealed.

To make driving test time comfortable for applicants, the time has been adjusted from 5am to 7am; divided in three days for three different tests including computer test, parking test and road test.

About the “smart cars” being used for driving tests without human intervention and supervision, the official said that the move was still under consideration and had not been implemented yet.