Saudi National Committee for Driving ready for women to take the wheel

In what’s considered a major step towards Saudi Women sitting behind the wheel in two months’ time, the head of the National Committee for Driving, Dr. Makhfour al-Bushr, stated that women will not be a cause for worry on the roads.

In an interview with Al Arabiya.net, he emphasized that the road and traffic authority is ready to deal with any hiccups especially that the decision for allowing the Saudi women to drive came following a field study.

Meanwhile, many Saudi women are preparing to join driving institutes while others question why universities are not offering driving lessons to keen students. Hence, shouldering them with extra fees for private institutions outside the universities’ campuses.

In this regard al-Bushr confirmed that the royal decree allowing Saudi women to drive, did not limit teaching driving to universities only, but it simply equaled her with Saudi men’s right for learning to drive and to be behind the wheel.

As for the reason behind the high fees stapled for driving lessons, which is five times that designated for men, al-Bushr explained that these fees “are for the investors in these projects, especially that the universities are renting a public park within its capacity while investors have to shoulder extra costs.”

Al-Bushr explained that the expected percentage of Saudi women drivers won’t exceed 25 percent and would be similar to that of female drivers in the Arab states.