UAE AUTHORITIES PUT A BRAKE ON DRIVING LICENCES

BY MUIN ABDUL MAJID

DUBAI, Dec 1 (Bernama) -- Workers from about 100 categories in the United
Arab Emirates, such as nurses, cooks, carpenters, housemaids and watchmen, will
no longer be able to get driving licences, it has been reported.

Others include tailors, cafeteria waiters, unskilled labourers, gardeners
and bakers.

The move was meant to reduce the huge number of vehicles by limiting the
number of professionals allowed to obtain driving licences, a Sharjah Police
official was quoted by Gulf News as saying.

According to the official, the Interior Ministry had instructed traffic
departments to stop opening driving licence files for people from the stipulated
categories as mentioned in their residence visa.

The decision was implemented last week, with many applications from people
belonging to these categories having been rejected, the official said.
-- BERNAMA