Outcry over plan to ‘suspend’ driver’s licence for Expats – Necessity, not luxury: resident

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KUWAIT CITY, July 2: Several Kuwaitis and expatriates expressed displeasure and resentment over the decision taken by Ministry of Interior to deny driver’s licenses for expatriates, except domestic workers and those with licenses from their countries of origin.

They said such a decision contradicts the least of the human rights to which people are entitled, especially considering the fact that expatriates buy cars for work purposes.

A Kuwaiti citizen, Abdullah, expressed his surprise over the trend of event, saying the decision is against human rights.

Mohammad Bakri said he believed the decision to suspend issuance of driver’s licenses to expatriates, except domestic workers, indicate that some laws are specifically aimed against expatriates. He declared that expatriates do not buy cars for recreational purposes but due to necessity and demand of their jobs.

Another respondent Jamal Azeb said the regulation which claims that expatriates can qualify to apply for driver’s license only if they possess one from their countries of origin is untenable, because Kuwait has several driving schools where applicants can learn driving.

He stressed that expatriates may not see any need to buy a car in their home countries, considering the availability of various means of transport such as metro, effective public transportation and railway systems there.

However, those means of transport are not available in Kuwait, except for public buses.

In addition, Ibrahim Al-Uqaili insisted that the idea of suspending driver’s license for expatriates for one year has never happened in any other country across the world. He stated that the issue is more complicated, considering the fact that the expatriates need comes ill at night, will the concerned person go about knocking on the doors of his neighbors for assistance to go to hospital?” He urged the concerned authority to be merciful to expatriates.

By Najeh Bilal Al-Seyassah/ Arab Times Staff

This news has been read 7145 times!