Learning to drive without an instructor to incur penalty

Energy Sunday 25/February/2018 21:40 PM
By: Times News Service
Learning to drive without an instructor to incur penalty

Muscat: Starting March 1, learning to drive without an instructor will cost motorists OMR35 as penalty, according to the Royal Oman Police’s (ROP) amended traffic laws. Training people without a driving instructor’s licence will also carry a maximum penalty of OMR35 and a black point on the licence.
With just three days to go before the ROP’s new traffic laws come into effect, motorists, including instructors and aspiring drivers, must familiarise themselves with the amended laws to avoid landing in the soup.
Read here: Full list of Oman's new traffic rules and laws in 2018
New changes
Some other changes to laws governing licence categories include a maximum fine of OMR50 and three black points for anyone caught driving with a licence in the wrong category. The different licence categories include light vehicles, heavy vehicles and motorcycles. Driving licences for expatriates will continue to be in accordance with their professions, as determined by the Ministry of Manpower.
The new laws will maximise safety by ensuring that aspiring drivers learn only from accredited instructors and reduce accidents by preventing motorists from accessing vehicles they are not certified to operate.
The comprehensive amendments will cut down on unauthorised driving instructors, who may endanger road users by practising without proper training or credentials. Subsequently, it will help nurture the growth of Oman’s driving service providers.
A motorist hailed the changes, telling the Times of Oman: “It’s very dangerous for people to learn how to drive on their own or to learn from someone who is not certified to teach. They will subsequently endanger the lives of others on the roads, as well as themselves. With the addition of a higher fine, people will be more inclined to do the right thing and learn from the right sources.”