Limit on driving divides Sharjah

Enforcement disgruntles many but some, including driving instructors, see a silver lining.

Each emirate has the option to activate the federal law denying driving licences to low-income or low-skilled professionals.

SHARJAH // Sharjah residents are starting to feel the effects of the emirate's decision to implement a 10-year-old federal law barring workers from low-income or low-skilled professions from applying for driving licences. Sharjah Municipality activated the law in November to cut traffic congestion by limiting the number of new drivers on the roads. While there is no definite list of professions barred from obtaining a licence, the Sharjah traffic and licensing department said they included newspaper distributors, storekeepers, construction workers, security guards, tailors, carpenters, plumbers, hairdressers, office boys, barbers and calligraphers. As would be expected, some people who have been turned away by the department are unhappy about the implementation of the rule. "At first the counter official didn't understand my profession. He then took my papers to his bosses and later returned with a 'no'," said Abdel Hamid al Zaman, a calligrapher. Mr al Zaman argued his case to no avail. He told them he had better qualifications than many taxi drivers and that his job required a lot of travel, but the official would not budge. "All the counter officer could tell me was, 'My friend, this is a law. If you want a licence go back to school and upgrade for a good profession'," he quoted him as saying. However, some people in non-restricted professions said the law had been a boon in helping them secure a licence more quickly. Before the law was implemented, they said, there were often waits of months to take the mandatory driving test. Many also felt the driving examiners were under pressure to deny licences to people who were in fact competent drivers. Ashraf Mohammed, a teacher, said he had tried to obtain a licence for 2½ years. "The problem is the waiting period to have another test is too long. "It stretches from three months to five months, because there are not enough facilities to continuously test people," said Mr Mohammed, who added that his driving instructors also now appeared less harried. Hamza Matovu, an engineer in the Hamriyah free zone who has been trying to get his licence since 2006, claimed that before the restriction Sharjah examiners were failing people just to keep the number of drivers down. "The examiners would just fail you without any justification," Mr Matovu said. "In my last test, in October, there were two examiners and they could not even agree on making me fail or pass, until the one in the back seat ruled that I failed." Driving instructors welcomed the move, according to Adel Ahemd of Bedoor driving school in Nassiriya, who said there had been too much pressure on examiners before. "The results are now clear. Before this happened I had to instruct about 10 people a day and would hardly rest, but now the number has gone down to five to six people a day," he said. An official at the Ministry of Interior said the regulations had been applied in Abu Dhabi for many years but other emirates could apply the regulations as needed. Ministry officials were not able to provide information about the intent of the law, but an Abu Dhabi Police source said it was used by some authorities to reduce traffic congestion. The ban can be applied to any unskilled profession that does not require qualification to degree level. Applicants for a licence have to "open a file" with police before they can take a driving test. To do that, they need proof of their profession in a letter from their employer and a copy of their visa. Sharjah authorities have said the restriction is only temporary. People from restricted professions who had already applied for a licence when the regulation was activated were also allowed to take the driving exam. The rule can be applied to anyone seeking a new licence, but not to expatriates with an existing licence from another country recognised by the UAE. Expatriates from countries such as Britain, the US and Australia are able to obtain a licence without sitting a driving test as long as they hold a valid licence from their country. The Sharjah traffic and licensing department said it registered 122,389 vehicles last year, including 45,861 new vehicles and 76,528 renewals. It issued 41,243 new licences. [e-mail]