Saudi allows women to drive trucks and motorcycles
Women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to operate commercial vehicles, drive lorries and ride motorcycles next summer.
Months after the historic decision to allow women to drive in the kingdom, the traffic department has issued new details on the law that is expected to come into effect next year.
The regulations, which refer to women “as equal” to male drivers, dispel fears that licences for women would be any different to those for men.
They also state that GCC-issued licences could be swapped for Saudi Arabian driving permits, although whether this will apply to expatriate women is still unknown.
There will be no female-specific licence plate numbers but traffic offences committed by women will be dealt with by a special police unit.
Three months ago, King Salman issued a decree stipulating that women would be allowed to drive as of June next year. That led to more ambitious reforms led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The move to allow women to drive has been welcomed by many in Saudi Arabia, where strict regulations have been easing in recent years.
Authorities said that involving women in the kingdom’s Vision 2030 will probably be a
crucial step as the state begins to diversify its economy.
Ahead of June next year, the Saudi federal authority of transport has contracted institutions around the country, including the King Abdulaziz University, to give women driving lessons.
As millions of women begin to take to Saudi Arabia’s roads, the public authority expects that up to a million foreign workers will be made obsolete as a young female population that was previously reliant on drivers start to drive themselves.
But many women may still choose to employ drivers.
Meanwhile, those wanting to apply for commercial licences for driving will be asked to go through the same procedures as men.