Gurugram firm’s electric bikes cost Rs 20,000; don’t need a driver’s license

 The scooter weighs 59 kilograms, along with the battery, and has a basket in front to carry personal items.

Since its inception, Detel, a Gurgaon-based consumer electronic brand, has been involved in developing low-cost technologies. For example, they sell an LCD television for Rs 3999. “Although there is no great profit in making products at such low prices, I plan to reach every consumer in India,” says Yogesh Bhatia, the founder of Detel, India. Two years ago, Yogesh kicked off a plan to convert bicycles into electric vehicles by attaching a motor. But, that proved to be too expensive.

“Once we stopped working on the cycle, my 16-member research team started conducting ground-research to understand what the user wants in an electric vehicle. During this stage, we noted two main points to address — affordability, and safety.

After continued research for other solutions. We started working on the electric vehicle which would go at low speeds, be affordable, and have the features of a cycle,” says Yogesh adding that he believes there is a big market in India for EVs.

Now, they have launched a new product— an electric two-wheeler named Detel EV (Easy) and priced at Rs 19,999.

Making a Low-Cost Electric Bike

Powered by a 250-watt electric motor, this scooter has a top speed of 25 km/hour. It has a 48-volt lithium-ion battery that takes 7-8 hours to charge using a domestic power supply. It can cover 60 kilometres on one full charge.

“Considering its low speed, users of this moped-like scooter do not require a DL. Vehicles that go between a speed of 25 – 35 kmph do not need a license or registration. It can be used by young adults. But wearing a helmet is necessary,” says Yogesh.

The scooter weighs 59 kgs, along with the battery, and has a basket in front to carry personal items. The moped-like scooter also has pedals attached to it, in case the power runs out. The vehicle is equipped with a drum braking system.

Munish Jindal, the head of Product Development and Supply Chain Management, says, “Our aim was to develop something that consumers would use when they had to go short distances. If a user has to take the scooter out in a hurry, and halfway through the journey realises there is no power, he/she can use the pedals to ride it. Since it is not heavy, there is not much effort involved. Though it cannot go fast, it is safe and environmentally friendly.”

There is also a second seat at the back for the pillion rider.

Bijender Verma, a resident of Haryana purchased the product as a gift for his 13-year-old son, Rahul Soni. He says, “My son uses the electric scooter to go to the market, and sometimes visit his friends. We purchased it two weeks back, and I chose this product for its main specification – speed. Since it does not go faster than 25 kms/hr I don’t have to worry that he will drive rash, and this will also give him the feel of being an adult.”

EV Industry In India

Yogesh believes that the electric vehicle industry in India is starting to gain momentum on account of various factors such as the growing awareness toward the environment, increasing petrol prices, and stringent emission norms.

“With the Delhi CM launching a new ‘Electric Vehicle Policy’ that is aimed at boosting the economy, reducing pollution levels and generating employment in the city, we feel that the consumption of the electric vehicles will go up now, more than ever. It’s possible that other states will also follow suit” says Yogesh.

Apart from the Detel EV Easy, to keep his business afloat in the current situation, Yogesh has also launched a series of products such as contactless thermometers, hand sanitisers, oximeters, facemasks, and more.

If you wish to purchase the products, you can place an order on this website.

(Source: TBI)

How Saudi’s ‘new direction’ is changing life for women like me

As Saudi Arabia allows women to travel without a man's consent, Lulwa Shalhoub, a resident of Jeddah, explains how the move will affect her life.

No need for a man's approval to travel, another step forward for women's rights in Saudi Arabia.

Next time I travel abroad, I will not have to worry about the travel permission being updated in the Saudi Passport Directorate's records or at the Saudi borders. I will pack my suitcase knowing that presenting my green passport, as an adult with full Saudi citizenship, will be sufficient. I will feel solely responsible for my choice to cross borders without a male guardian's approval.

Last week marked another historic day for Saudi women, giving them hope for a brighter future for them and their daughters. A future in which they are not second-class citizens.

Lulwa Shalhoub, who lives in Jeddah, says lifting the travel ban will give Saudi women hope

Having to obtain a male guardian's permission to travel abroad has been one of the remaining obstacles that face Saudi women, particularly divorced or widowed women. In some cases, women had to get permission from their sons when they had no living fathers, uncles or brothers.

At last, the definition of adulthood in Saudi Arabia is gender neutral. Both men and women are adults when they reach the age of 21.

For a mother who spent years raising her son only for him to be the one who gave her permission to travel, it was degrading. It was also ironic in a culture that has a strong emphasis on respecting one's parents.

Even less convenient was when a woman had no male relatives that could qualify to be her guardians - whether a father, husband, brother or son. And divorced or widowed women who lived within ultra-conservative male-dominant families could be denied approval and so could not travel when they wanted to.

As a Saudi woman, it is exciting to witness a new era of rapid changes that will be referred to in the future as the time when Saudi Arabia started to open up to accepting women as equal partners to men.

Growing up in the '90s, my generation was surrounded by more taboos than accepted practices. These cultural taboos, backed by an extreme interpretation of religion, were prevalent in a society segregating men and women. They gave men the authority to make decisions for women in their families.

I lived abroad for eight years from 2008 and every time I visited Jeddah to see my family I used to notice gradual changes. These were at a societal level rather than due to changes in regulations.

Society was starting to accept young men and women working together and meeting in public, women wearing colourful abayas - turning this long loose garment into a fashion statement - and young women travelling to study abroad on their own.

'New direction'
What makes the changes faster and harder to resist is that in the past two years they have been backed up by a change in regulations and royal decrees. This includes lifting the driving ban on Saudi women in September 2017 - implemented in June 2018 - and the latest change on travel.

Saudi Arabia was the only country where women were barred from driving

The latter change has positive implications for the structure of the family. Within a family, travelling should be a choice. Reaching this level of equality means the relationship between a woman and her father, husband or brother, should be based on trust, open communication and a sense of responsibility.

The new rule means the relationship between a husband and his wife becomes a partnership between two responsible adults, rather than guardianship of a minor.

My Saudi friends and I, and many Saudi women, no longer want to be framed as women of special circumstances, who lack rights that women around the world take for granted.

The new direction puts us as women in a place where we can gain individuality and confidence in our ability to take care of ourselves.

(Source: BBC)

UK driving licences 'may no longer be valid in EU' in event of no-deal Brexit

Lorry drivers and holidaymakers may be forced to obtain permits for different countries

British driving licences may no longer be valid in the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the government has admitted.

The latest batch of Whitehall planning papers revealed lorry drivers and holidaymakers could be forced to obtain permits for the countries they visit, similar to those already used to drive in some states in the United States or Japan.

Expats that move abroad after Brexit day may also have to re-sit their driving test, as their UK licence would no longer be recognised on the continent.

It comes as the government steps up its preparations for the risks if Britain crashes out of the EU without a deal next March, publishing a second wave of 28 papers warning of the day-to-day impact on areas ranging from car manufacturing to data roaming changes.

The advice from the Department of Transport (DfT) said: “Your driving licence may no longer be valid by itself when driving in the EU.

“If you move to another EU country to live, you may not be able to exchange your licence after the UK has left the EU.”

Mutual recognition of driving licences between the UK and the EU would end if there is no deal with Brussels, meaning British drivers would have to obtain an international driving permit (IDP) to journey abroad.

Tourists driving between France and Spain would need two separate IDPs, as both countries are covered by different conventions.

Anyone without the £5.50 permit could face fines or be turned away if they try to cross a border in Europe.

IDPs will be available from February next year, prompting warnings over a rush on post offices from hundreds of thousands drivers.

The National Audit Office previously warned that up to 7 million IDPs could be issued in the first year if Britain crashes out without a deal.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “In some circumstances, such as driving into France and then Spain, drivers will need two separate IDPs as Spain, Eire, Malta and Cyprus have not ratified the 1968 Vienna Convention.

“This will be an extra burden for UK drivers wanting to take a holiday abroad. We are also disappointed that from the end of January next year the AA will no longer be permitted to issue IDPs as we have done for decades."

He added: “We envisage quite a rush on post offices next year for the £5.50 IDPs if no deal is reached.

"Hopefully an agreement can be reached to prevent further red tape and expense for drivers.”

The Road Haulage Association (RHA), which represents lorry drivers, said the warnings were nothing more than a smoke screen more pressing issues that need to be addressed before March 2019.

RHA chief executive Richard Burnett said: “It is disappointing that the international haulage technical paper was not published today.

“Without clarity, any changes in supply chain operations cannot be delivered in the time left between now and next March. With so many unanswered questions, how can businesses even begin to prepare?"

Labour MP Virendra Sharma, who backs the Best for Britain campaign said: "It's official: Brexit is driving the UK round the bend.

"British drivers will now have to get driving licenses for multiple countries if they want to drive down to Spain. And that's if they're lucky and can get one!

"It's just another cost and more bureaucracy Brits will have to go through."

(Source: The Independent)

One driving school in Saudi received 165,000 applications in just three days

Apparently the favourite models are going to be Toyota, BMW and Jeep – colour unimportant. But there will be a few hardcore bikers on the roads as well. The day millions of us have been waiting for – and for which several women went to jail for – has finally arrived. The lifting of the driving ban for women in Saudi Arabia, unbelievably the last country in the world to allow women to get behind the wheel.

The decision by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – known around the world now, thanks to a slick PR campaign, as MBS – has attracted banner headlines, and thousands of driving licence applications from women throughout the kingdom. One driving school received 165,000 applications in just three days. Car sales are expected to soar by up to 10 per cent, with more than 400 thousand vehicles estimated to be snapped up in the remaining months of 2018.

Good news for the car industry – if not for the environment. And also essential news for the Saudi economy and its highly intelligent female workforce made up of women who more often than not have been educated abroad to masters and PhD level, and who until now had to return home to the alien stifling restrictions of life under religious traditionalists.

That’s all thanks to Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s plan to diversify its economy, reducing its reliance on oil, which has accelerated the introduction of social and economic reform.

The decision by MBS to launch Vision 2030 in 2015 was smart and built on social and economic pragmatism for a country which until now has enjoyed vast wealth built on oil – but riches that won’t last forever.

Part of his modernising Vision 2030, the lifting of the driving ban encapsulates not only social transformation but a blueprint for economic reform.

In recent years the number of women who work has soared to up to 22 per cent, still not enough, and the government aims to raise that to 31 per cent by 2030. But until now those working women have not been able to drive themselves to their jobs – creating not only transportation, but also financial obstacles for women who have had to employ their own driver – often an overseas national – on a salary that frequently ate up their own. Think of the dilemma so many young mothers in the UK face when juggling childcare costs with a return to work.

Another benefit for the country should be the emergence of many more two-car households. This will add to the economy by boosting spending and attracting strategic investors – both local and foreign – associated with motor insurance and car leasing companies. Pension funds and private investors have for months been looking at innovative solutions to serve the rapidly expanding automotive sector in Saudi Arabia.

With the lifting of the ban on women driving, the government’s goal of raising Saudi gross domestic product by 65 per cent will become easier, as this will revive other sectors, such as the automotive and retail, which will increase the productivity because more women will enjoy the ability to work.

And by overturning the antediluvian ban MBS hopes Saudi Arabia will attract even more tourists – who will see the kingdom no longer as a bastion of male repression, but a pluralistic confident society where women are on equal footing with men.

Saudi Arabia announced recently that it would invest $64bn (£48bn) in developing its entertainment industry over the next few years, in the hope that tourism will contribute 300 billion riyals (£60bn) to the economy by 2026.

Other positive spinoffs from today’s news will see the removal of the compulsory wearing of the niqab on national ID cards, and a tightening of the protection of women in a society plagued by social and sexual harassment that is all too often brushed under the carpet. A new anti-harassment law will land offenders with a five-year prison sentence and a hefty fine.

There’s an aura of optimism in the country that I as a researcher and businesswoman in my thirties have not witnessed before. Could this finally be the moment when all the other ingrained taboos such as segregation and male guardianship can be smashed as well?

Social media in Saudi is largely positive with numerous hashtags like “drive and the nation is behind you” and “be confident – you can do it” flooding Twitter.

We’ve got the right to drive. Next up, equality in the workplace. I can’t wait.

(Source: The Independent)

Saudi women can drive, but here’s the real roadblock

With her bubble-gum pink hair and stylishly ripped jeans, Doaa Bassem goes a long way to redefining what it means to be a Saudi woman these days.

At age 14, she learned how to change the oil of her father’s car and dreamed of owning a classic Trans Am. Although she assumed she would be barred from driving the sleek, loud muscle car, she wanted the fun of taking the engine apart and rebuilding it.

By 17, she had entered into an arranged marriage. Within a year, she had given birth to a child, divorced, then remarried and divorced again.

Now, at 29, she is a single mother who works, lives on her own and plans to be among the first women who take to the streets on Sunday, the first day they will be legally permitted to drive in Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy that is the last country in the world to bar women from driving. Ms. Bassem won’t be behind the wheel of a sports car, though. She will be riding a Harley.

Hanan Iskandar, on the motorcycle, and Doaa Bassem, second from left, received training this month to prepare for this Sunday, the first day women will be legally permitted to drive in Saudi Arabia.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

“I’ve always been a tomboy and a rebel,” she said. “Now, others are thinking more like me. Parents have started to understand that marriage isn’t everything, that girls might want a different life. And society is starting to accept this, too.”

According to the Saudi ruler, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and their many supporters, the monarchy is verging on a great feminist leap forward. The change reflects the tectonic shifts in a society that have helped women reach the pinnacles of academic and professional success, combined with the effects of globalization, which have brought more openness to the kingdom than at anytime in its recent history.

The new law allowing women to drive removes a lightning rod for critics and allies who have long derided the Saudis, a bastion of conservative Islamic orthodoxy, for following a repressive practice embraced by groups like the Taliban and the Islamic State. The new law also dovetails with the monarchy’s ambitious economic changes that aim to wean Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s top producer, from dependence on oil and to diversify the economy — shifts that require women to be workers and consumers.

However, while the joy shared by tens of thousands of Saudi women over the right to take the wheel is undeniable, a bright red line keeps them from equality — the restrictive guardianship system. It is a mix of law and custom under which women remain dependents of male relatives — a father, husband, brother, uncle or son — their whole lives.

Ms. Iskandar, right, and Ms. Bassem, second from right, celebrated the success of one of their practice sessions with Rami Shanaa, second from left, and Sami Bukhari.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

Guardianship ensures that the gender balance of power at home, work and perhaps even on the roads favors men by allowing them to consent — or not — to letting their women work, travel or receive medical care.

Beneath her free-spirited life, Ms. Bassem is legally tied to the consent powers of her brother, her current guardian, who has respected her choices. He helped find a progressively minded landlord to rent an apartment to her and acts as her guarantor. “People get nervous when ladies live alone,” she said.

The rulers have announced that Saudi women will not need a guardian to apply for driver’s education or receive a driver’s license. But that is one of the rare exceptions where men have no role over women’s lives.

Saudi citizens still need to contend with the top-down system of governing in which they all are vulnerable to royal commands, whims and punishments.

Saudi women practiced with a driving simulator this week at a government-sponsored event in Riyadh, the Saudi capital.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

Among those women who will not be celebrating on the streets this Sunday are the pioneers who broke social and legal taboos decades ago with their protests demanding the right to drive. Last month, Saudi officials arrested a group of well-known feminists, among them some veterans of a 1990 protest, in what was seen as a warning to them not to take credit for the end of the driving ban.

Eight leading women’s rights activists remain behind bars, according to Amnesty International. They are facing serious charges, including spying and sedition.

“There is no doubt that there is a deep transformation happening in Saudi now,” said Kristin Smith Diwan, the senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “But we are also witnessing a horrible crackdown on some of the people that made these changes possible. What’s not changing is the nature of authority.”

The crown prince has sent mixed messages about the guardianship system. In interviews with American media, he has declared Saudi men and women absolutely equal. Last year, a royal decree commanded government agencies to allow women access to many services without their guardians — and to list those services to thwart bureaucratic abuses. The lists, however, have not yet been made public.

Men and boys on their way to a mosque in Riyadh last year. The lifting of the driving ban for women has not diminished sexism in Saudi society.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

The structure of the guardianship system, which in many ways mimics the ruler’s power over his subjects, means that individual freedom for women is precarious. Last year, a chilling case came to light when a 29-year-old woman, Maryam al-Otaibi, ran away from home, where she claimed male relatives had abused her. She fled to Riyadh, the capital, but her father — her legal guardian — filed a criminal complaint, saying she had been “disobedient” after he commanded her to return home. She was jailed for more than 100 days before she won the right to break free from him.

Many women in the fields of social work, women’s empowerment and family law prefer to focus on the gains women have achieved, not the limitations that remain.

Since the crown prince took power last year, judges who once would have automatically given fathers custody of children in divorce cases have started allowing some mothers custody instead. Women no longer need a guardian to register a business. More private companies are hiring women for technical and manual labor jobs, helping pull poor families or single mothers up the socio-economic ladder.

Salma al-Rashid, the chief programs officer at Al Nahda Philanthropic Organization for Women in Riyadh, which for more than 50 years has been working with disadvantaged women and families, pointed to recent legal changes that have improved financial and emotional security for a majority of Saudi women, whose lives bear no resemblance to the stereotypical wealthy Saudi resident.

During a government-sponsored media event this week at the driving school at the Princess Noura Bint Abdul Rahman University, employees gathered in front of a driving simulator screen.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

A catalyst of social change, Ms. Rashid said, is the growing number of Saudi women who are graduating from college, traveling abroad on scholarships and entering the work force.

“Saudi Arabia is not black and white,” she said. “We are incredibly diverse. The biggest engine that has driven these changes is economical. History shows this is the case everywhere in the world.”

In the eastern province city of Al Khobar, Seham al-Amri, 39, is one of a significant number of Saudi women who have capitalized on the changes to make a better life.

From the time she was young, she was the clever one in her family. She attended a public university and studied Arabic literature, married at 19, raised five children and taught at a girls’ school.

A Saudi driving instructor, Munerah al-Shahrani, right, and a student, Rana al-Musabbahi, at the media event this week.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

Three years ago, however, when the kingdom was pushing businesses to hire more Saudi citizens, she sought work in the private sector, where pay was much higher and opportunities for women were growing. A leading telecom company offered her a sales position, but Ms. Amri’s husband — her guardian — refused to consent.

Ms. Amri went behind his back. She took her brother to the company to act as her guardian, and she got the job. Her stellar sales record made her a standout candidate this spring when car companies were seeking Saudi women to help sell vehicles to the rush of new drivers they were expecting.

Her husband still disliked the idea, she said, but her new company, the Saudi owner of the Range Rover franchise, did not ask her for a guardian’s approval.

She sold seven cars in her first three weeks. Her husband, she said, likes the larger paycheck she brings home. He also has grudgingly accepted her work because relatives and neighbors have not gossiped about it. “He didn’t want any shame on the family,” she said. “As for my family, they are all as proud as can be.”

Seham al-Amri, right, a sales consultant at a newly integrated workplace at a Saudi car dealership, sold a car to a customer this week.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

A Saudi public opinion poll, commissioned in February by Uber, showed that more than 90 percent of respondents felt positively about lifting the driving ban.

That has not diminished the sexism. A popular preacher last year strongly opposed letting women drive, saying their brains were half the size of men’s. Several men said this week that they would stay home on Sunday, convinced that car accidents — already a problem in the country — would surge.

The planned rollout for women drivers, despite months of buildup, has hit several bumps, partly because of insufficient driver’s education programs and the overlapping bureaucracies needed to fulfill the royal decree.

The government has said that women with valid licenses from abroad may obtain a Saudi license with minimal fuss. Several hundred will be ready to drive on Sunday.

Addana al-Hugail, left, Razan Ben Hassan, second from right, Noor al-Gadheb, second from left, and Sufana al-Hugail are eagerly awaiting their first opportunity to drive legally on Sunday.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

Yet for tens of thousands of others, the path to driving has been full of obstacles. Only a limited number of training courses have opened for women — and given the strict gender segregation in effect in schools and government agencies, it is challenging to staff them.

Earlier this year, pilot driver’s education programs were scrambling to find qualified women to instruct their Saudi sisters. That is how Sheikha al-Kadeeb, 29, who had been looking for work in finance, was recruited to teach driving.

Ms. Kadeeb learned in Los Angeles, where she earned an M.B.A. She loved cruising California freeways in her Jeep Wrangler and jumped at the opportunity to impart her enthusiasm at home. “I feel like I’m on a mission,” she said. “I get a chance to help my country.”

Parents and family members, meanwhile, have worried about what would happen to women if their cars broke down or the police pulled them over. Casual encounters with strange men are discomfiting to many Saudi women. Nor are some willing to risk the physical threats of being stuck alone.

After a practice session this week, the Saudi women moved to the back seats of their cars so their male drivers could drive them home.CreditTasneem Alsultan for The New York Times

Another problem is the cost of driver’s education for women, which is four to five times as expensive when compared with what men pay.

Mohammed al-Ghanami, a diving instructor for the Saudi Marines, has been giving his wife lessons in remote areas where the police or other motorists will not disturb them. He moonlights as an Uber driver and wants his wife to be able to drive their child to the doctor or anywhere else in an emergency, given his extended absences.

“She can do it,” he said. “She’s a careful person and a good driver.”

Groups of girlfriends, meanwhile, are making celebratory plans for their first drive. Rezan Ben Hassan, 29, learned when she was 16 on desert camping trips with her family. She intends to take the keys to the family vehicle on Sunday and cruise to a cafe.

In Al Khobar, Ms. Bassem, the motorcycle lover, plans to hit the road with friends from the local Harley Davidson club. Of their roughly 700 members in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, a handful of women love Hogs.

In what appears to be an attempt to dissuade unqualified drivers on Sunday, the Ministry of Interior announced that the police would be fining drivers caught without a license 900 riyals, or approximately $240.

The lack of an official license, however, is not discouraging Ms. Bassem. “This is going to be one of the most exciting days of my life,” she said.

(Source: NYT)

Saudi Arabia issued its first driver's licenses to 10 women

Saudi Arabia issued its first driver’s licenses to 10 women on Monday as the kingdom prepared to lift the world’s only ban on women driving in three weeks, but some who campaigned for the right to drive remain under arrest.

A government statement said the 10 women who were issued licenses already held driving licenses from other countries, including the U.S., U.K., Lebanon and Canada. They took a brief driving test and eye exam before being issued the licenses at the General Department of Traffic in the capital, Riyadh. International media were not present for the event.

Other women across the country have been preparing for the right to drive on June 24 by taking driving courses on female-only college campuses. Some are even training to become drivers for ride hailing companies like Uber.

Saudi women had long complained of having to hire costly male drivers, use taxis or rely on male relatives to get to work and run errands.

The surprise move to issue some women licenses early came as activists who had campaigned for the right to drive remain under arrest, facing possible trial.

Saudi Arabia’s prosecutor said Sunday that 17 people had been detained in recent weeks on suspicion of trying to undermine security and stability, a case activists said targeted prominent women’s rights campaigners.

The prosecutor’s statement said eight have been temporarily released, while five men and four women remain under arrest. Among the women held since May 15 are Loujain al-Hathloul, Aziza al-Yousef and Eman al-Nafjan, according to people with knowledge of the arrests who’ve spoken to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions.

The three are among the most outspoken and well-known women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia. They not only risked arrest by pushing for the right to drive for years, but also called for an end to guardianship laws that give male relatives final say over a woman marrying or traveling abroad.

Their activism was seen as part of a larger democratic and civil rights push in the kingdom.

They now face a range of charges, including communicating with people and organizations hostile to the kingdom and providing financial and moral support to hostile elements abroad. State-linked media have referred to the group as “foreign embassy agents” and branded them traitors.

Three other veteran women’s rights activists were briefly detained at the onset of the sweep. They had taken part in the first protest in 1990 against the kingdom’s ban on women driving.

Nearly 50 women took part in that first driving protest some 28 years ago. The women were arrested, lost their jobs, had their passports confiscated for a year and faced severe stigmatization.

Others were detained over the years during various efforts by women’s rights activists to drive. While Saudi law has never explicitly banned women from driving, women were not issued driving licenses. Often, police would detain a female driver until a male relative could pick her up and sign a pledge on her behalf that she would not drive again.

Ultraconservatives viewed women driving as immoral and warned women would be subject to sexual harassment if they drove. Just four years ago, the country’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Abdulaziz Al Sheikh, said barring women from driving “was in the best interest of society” because it protected them from having to deal with an accident.

These days, the kingdom faces steep economic challenges and has a burgeoning young population that has access to the world through the internet and sees women in neighboring Muslim countries driving freely.

To boost the economy and ease international criticism, Saudi Arabia’s 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been promoting changes, like the decision to allow women to drive, all while risking backlash from clerics and others who adhere to the ultraconservative Wahhabi interpretation of Islam.

The prince has also attempted to appeal to young Saudis by opening the country to more entertainment, allowing music concerts and bringing the first commercial movie theater to Saudi Arabia this year.

However, rights groups say the arrest of activists by the crown prince’s security forces are an attempt to silence dissent as women prepare to drive for the first time, and may be a way to freeze any calls for greater reforms.

The spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Liz Throssell, has described the crackdown as “perplexing.”

“If, as it appears, their detention is related solely to their work as human rights defenders and activists on women’s issues, they should be released immediately,” she said.

(Source: Time)

Kuwait lawyer seeks driving ban on expatriates

:A Kuwaiti lawyer filed a lawsuit Monday seeking a temporary driving ban on millions of expatriates to ease traffic congestion in the oil-rich Gulf state.

Lawyer Mohammad al-Ansari called for a temporary suspension of their driving licences and a total ban on issuing new licences for expats.

He filed the lawsuit on behalf of a number of Kuwaiti citizens affected by traffic problems, Ansari told AFP in a written statement.

"The traffic problem in the country has reached an unbearable phase," said the lawyer, adding that the government had failed to resolve it.

Ansari said the suspension should stay in force until new regulations are introduced to curb traffic jams, although certain professions should be exempted.

Around 3.1 million foreigners, most of them Asians, live and work in Kuwait alongside 1.35 million citizens.

For the past decade, authorities have imposed very strict rules on expatriates to obtain a driver's licence.

Most foreigners are required to hold a university degree, earn 600 dinars ($2,000) a month and have lived legally in the emirate for at least two years before a license is issued.

Their high number has been criticised by lawmakers and activists, with several MPs calling for it to be lowered to the same level as Kuwaiti citizens within five years.

Others have called for taxes to be slapped on their money transfers out of Kuwait.

(Source: The Peninsula)

Demand for motorbike licence increases in Qatar

The number of expatriates seeking a motorbike licence has increased over the past few months, after many eateries have stopped using cars for home delivery services, say sources from driving schools.

The increasing popularity of motorbikes among Qatari and expatriate youth has also caused a rise in the demand for motorbike licence. To drive a motorbike a special licence is required and the procedures for obtaining a licence are more or less the same as other types of driving licences.

Omer Kabaloo, General Manager of Al Khebra Driving Academy, told The Peninsula that the number of trainees at the school obtaining a motorbike licence has increased by about 20 percent over the past few months, mainly because of increasing demand from delivery boys.

“Most of the restaurants have switched over to motorbikes instead of cars for food delivery. A full course for motorbike includes 10 theory classes and 25 practical classes and the fee is QR1,475. A trainee can avail four road tests. If a Qatari wants to get a motorbike licence, the registration formalities are simpler,” he added.

Kabaloo said a few European ladies have also obtained motorbike licence through the Academy. The procedures to register for the licence for an expat is the same as that of a car driving licence.

The required documents include a no objection letter from the employer, eye-test report, copy of applicant’s Qatari ID and four passport size photos. If the ID is not issued yet, a copy of the visa and the passport as well as the entry stamp in the passport are required, he explained.

An instructor at Al Khebra said motorbike training includes classroom instruction and a minimum of 8 hours on-cycle training. Helmets are also provided for those who do not have their own.

Theoretical training includes lessons on the challenge of motorcycling, motorcycle controls, rider and motorcycle preparation, basic riding skills, advanced turning and braking techniques, special riding situations and dangers of impaired riding.

Practical lessons include straight line riding, turning, shifting and stopping, advanced turning and braking techniques and collision avoidance manoeuvres.

Yousaf Khan, an employee at Dalla Driving Academy said the demand for motorbike licences have increased as compared to car driving licences.

“Most fast food outlets have replaced cars with motorbikes for door delivery. We are offering full courses as well as short courses,” he said.

He said eye test is available at the Academy from 7am to 12pm and from 3pm to 7pm every day except Friday.

(Source: The Peninsula)

Step-by-step guide to getting a driving licence in UAE

The date May 5, 2016, will go down in history as the day I FINALLY got my Dubai driving licence. My friends got a huge cake and celebrations went on for months. My parents were proud - I doubt they were as proud when I got my first job.

For my 7th driving test attempt, (yes, I know you're laughing, and if you got your licence in the first attempt, you can talk to my disinterested hand), my friends had advised me to dress up like a CEO - no sports shoes or denims.

The night before the exam, random memories captivated my mind, in no particular order:

Me, taking gruelling driving lessons for ONE. ENTIRE. YEAR! Needless to say I spent an amount with which I could have easily bought a second-hand car.

Me, thinking I am incompetent and an embarrassment to repeatedly fail the tests when my friends cleared in the first attempt like it was a piece of cake. They made me want to dunk my head in a pool of mud.

Me, getting mocked at by friends, who laughed disdainfully and said, "your feet won't reach the accelerator", as I am not tall enough.

Me, slowing down in the middle of the road, thinking there's a yellow-painted speedbraker ahead, when in reality it was just a patch of sunlight. (D'uh!)

Me, crying in front of my parents on a Skype call. Their advice? "It's just a driving test. It's not the end of the world. Not everyone can champion everything. Maybe driving is not your thing. Take a break and focus on other things in life."

The next morning during my test, when I got behind the wheel for my 7th attempt, it felt as if my soul left my body and I was having a near death experience without the angels.

But, by some miracle, I gave a Michael Schumacher-like performance. I was dressed up like a CEO, I pretended I wasn't scared, and I passed.

I PASSED!

It took a long time to sink in when I was told I had passed. Ah that feeling! I wanted to bask in that glory forever.

Turns out my story is all too common for aspiring drivers in the UAE. More so, for those in the Asian community.

Why is it difficult for Asians to get a UAE driving licence?
Dubai resident Sumith Suvarna who got his licence in the 11th attempt, said, he wasn't able to switch jobs in Dubai without a driving licence. Being a marketing professional, every company he interviewed with needed him to drive. For him, a licence was more than an educational qualification. "I have a BE degree from India. But obtaining a UAE driver's licence was no less than a post graduate degree," he said.

He drove for more than 10 years in Mangalore, India, but for getting a UAE licence, he had to unlearn those old driving skills.

"There isn't much discipline on Indian roads. We butt in our cars wherever we find space. But here people are stricter about following rules. Now when I go back to India and drive, I feel scared and annoyed at the way others drive. It's like a complete war, and in wars you don't tell your enemies your next move," he added.

Another Dubai resident Prathna Achpalia, who got 14th time lucky in the UAE, had five years of driving experience in Mumbai, India. Yet, the pain and agony she faced for more than a year to obtain a UAE driving licence is something she will never forget.

"At first I registered for manual driving. After failing five times, I changed to automatic gear, thinking it would be easier. Even that didn't help. Then I changed back to manual driving and cleared the test in my 14th attempt. My husband insisted me to keep trying, else I would have given up for sure," she added.

If you have read till here and are still determined to get a licence, it leads us to our next question...

Do you really need a driving licence in the UAE? If so, how to get one?
UAE offers a variety of public transport options, which have proved to be very efficient in helping people get to work, social meets and practically to any location in the UAE. However it's still a great idea to be able to drive yourself to wherever, whenever.

Aspirants have to enroll in an authorised driving school. If you are 18-21 years of age, you can apply for a probationary licence.

Authorised Driving Schools

Al Ahli Driving School: 04-3411500 (10 branches)
Belhasa Driving School: 04-3243535 (18 branches)
Dubai Driving Center: 04-3455855 (13 branches)
Emirates Driving Institute: 04-2631100 (53 branches/mall counters)
Galadari Driving School: 04-2676166 (14 branches)

Who qualifies for training?

If you do not have prior driving experience or possess a licence that is not from any of these 36 approved countries, you must undergo training:

Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States. (Please call RTA on 8009090 for any changes to this list)

Driving licence holders of some countries in the above list will require translations or consulate letters. These countries include:

(i) Canada: A letter from the Canadian Consulate in Dubai to verify that the licence is genuine is required.

(ii) Driving licence holders from Greece, Canada, Cyprus, Poland, Turkey, Japan & South Korea will require a translation of their driving licence from their respective consulates.

The required documents for conversion are a valid original driving licence, valid residence visa issued by Dubai, a completed form for replacement of licence, No Objection letter from sponsor to replace licence and Optometry form accredited by the health authority in Emirate Location.

(Info sourced from Government of Dubai website)

Steps for learners:

1. Register for a driving licence course in one of the authorised driving schools by opening your RTA file. Students can opt to register for either automatic or manual gear transmission for their car driving licence. However, automatic licence holders are not allowed to drive a manual gear vehicle.

Documents required: Passport (original and copy) with residence stamp, No-Objection Certificate from employer and eight photos.

Eye test: You need to get an eye test done either with an optician or at your driving school. The receipt of the test must be submitted at your driving school.

2. Theory Test: The training course begins with theory lectures and it is mandatory to take all the lectures for 8 hours before starting practical training classes. 

(i) The theory test is carried out at the five authorised driving schools.

(ii) Don't forget to carry a relevant ID, driving file, two photos and theory test fee of Dh200.

(ii) A total of 35 questions on road signals, hazards and guidelines on safe-driving will be asked in either English, Arabic or Urdu, with more languages to be added later. Candidates who cannot read the touch-screen or are not computer literate can take the examination orally.

(iii) The first segment with 17 questions focuses on general traffic situations, and the candidate will need to answer a minimum of 11 correct to pass.

(iv) The second segment has 18 questions related to the specific driving licence the candidate requires and a minimum of 12 correct answers are required to be eligible for the road test.

(v) From July 2015, a new segment was added to the Theory test. Called Risks Recognition Test, the test contains a few videos that depicts specific environmental conditions and asks the driver how he/she can cope with them.

3. There is a pre-evaluation test for students who have signed up for 30 and 20 classes to evaluate their driving experience.

4. After passing the theory test and pre-evaluation test (if required), students can begin their practical training.

(i) Students who do not possess any driving licence (from any country) have to register for 40 classes.

(ii) Students possessing their country's licence which is 2-5 years old have to take 30 classes.

(iii) Students possessing their country's licence which is more than 5 years old have to take 20 classes.

5. After your practical training classes, your course-in charge will advise you to book your RTA parking test and assessment test.

6. After clearing your assessment test, you will complete your highway training before going for the final road test. 

7. Road Test: On the date assigned, go with your passport, driving file, two photos to the RTA Licence Section as advised by your driving school. Fill up an application form and submit fees (around Dh200 for the road test). When your name is called out, go along with the other three candidates and the RTA inspector to the designated car. You will be given just a few minutes to demonstrate your driving skills.

If you fail, you will have to register with your driving school for at least seven more classes and get a new road test date.

If you pass, collect the approval paper from your inspector and go to the Pass Counter. Submit a suitable ID and Dh100. Collect your test file and submit to the Control Counter. After processing, pay the required fee. In a few minutes, you will receive your DL and be eligible to drive in Dubai and the UAE. Congratulations!

Other caveats 

1. Refresher Course: If you already have a valid UAE driving licence and only need practice, you can apply for this course. It includes 8 practical training classes. You can take 4 minimum classes also.

2. Simulator Training: All students registered for 40 classes will have to attend 1 session of Simulator prior to starting their training classes.

3. Solo Training: This is mandatory for 40 classes' course and is optional for 30 and 20 classes' course.

4. People who have a valid UAE driving licence from any emirate other than Dubai need to get their driving file transferred from that emirate to Dubai RTA before opening a file for any other vehicle category.

6. People who possess a valid GCC (Bahrain, Kuwait Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia) licence have to take two theory lectures at the beginning of the course. Then they have to take the RTA Knowledge test, parking test and the road test.

7. People who have any traffic fine in their name will not be able to open a file until the fine is cleared.

8. People who have opened any driving file before with other institute should transfer their file.

(Caveats sourced from Emirates Driving Institute's website)

Tips for theory test

1. You should read the RTA handbook thoroughly

2. Take mock theory tests here.

3. Practice on the RTA mobile app

Resources:

Traffic Sign Test: Try to memorise the common road signs and take a traffic sign test online here.

Tips for road test

1. Dress like a CEO: On your test day, dress up like you're some big shot executive. Not only would it give a good impression to your examiner, but he/she might feel that you're a busy person and shouldn't spend a lot of time trying to get a licence. 

2. Do not wear sunglasses: It's strongly recommended that you avoid wearing sunglasses. The examiner would want to see your eye movements while driving and changing lanes. 

3. Just obey: Do what your examiner says, don't argue or ask questions.  

4. Remember the first few steps: Adjust your seat, mirrors and fasten your seat belt. Don't forget! Make sure you always tell other people sitting in your car to fasten their seat belts as well.

5. Check Handbrake: You must check the handbrake and make sure your vehicle is in the correct gear before you start.

6. Maintain a good speed: Don't drive too slow or too fast. Drive confidently within the speed limit.

7. Entering the main road: When entering the road, wait at the "Stop" sign for at least 3 seconds, even if the lane is clear. If you don't, then you FAIL the test. It is a considered as a significant error.

8. Keep a safe distance: Keep two seconds between you and the car in front of you.  

9. Changing lane: This is one of the most crucial things that examiners like to check. When asked to change lane, check both the rear view and side mirrors. When all's clear, don't miss to check the blind spot, then turn on the indicator. Speed up your vehicle, stay within the speed limit, and then slow down again after changing the lane.

10. T-Junction: When turning onto a main road from a secondary road at a T-junction, stop before the "STOP" line for at least 3 seconds, even if the road is clear. Enter safely at a relaxed pace, then speed up gradually to stay within the speed limit.

11. Hard Brakes: Don't apply hard brakes. Drive at a comfortable pace and start slowing down when you spot a vehicle or traffic signal nearby. If you apply hard brakes and sway, your examiner would think you don't have control of your car. 

12. Roundabouts: Never enter a roundabout, unless the road is clear from the left side. Remember, you always have to give RIGHT indicator while exiting.

13. Parking: If the examiner asks you to park your car at the side, do not park in front of any entrance, gate or at a bus stop.

(Source: Khaleej Times)

Getting a driving licence in Dubai may get tougher

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has submitted proposals to the Ministry of Interior which, if implemented, may make the process of getting a driving licence in Dubai harder.

The first is the endorsement of eight uniform mandatory lectures for applicants seeking driver permits of motorcycles instead of two lectures, and nine lectures for applicants of driver licenses for heavy vehicles instead of eight, Ahmed Hashem Bahrozyan, CEO of Licensing Agency, RTA, said.

The second is endorsing a mandatory practical training on heavy vehicles fitted with a trailer before the license, in order to comply with the applicable international standards.

The third is the addition of real-life video clips recorded by surveillance cameras in various roads of the emirate as a key component of theoretical lectures for trainee drivers.

The fourth is the introduction of new requirements of medical fitness of elderly drivers by subjecting them to medical testing every three years when reaching 60, and every two years reaching 70 and above.

The fifth is the revision of RTA-approved drivers training manuals by adding a provision about how to deal with vehicle fires incidents and using smart apps for reporting traffic accidents.

"The second part of suggestions submitted to the Ministry of Interior are of relevance to the federal level. They include coordination with the Federal Traffic Council for the gradual issuing of driver licenses, and endorsing a period for temporary licensing of all new drivers regardless of the age of the driver at the time of issuing the license, besides the endorsement of 12 black points maximum over one year in the traffic file of the novice driver. Recommendations made also include reclassifying driver licenses to align them with the best international practices," noted Bahrozyan.

Arif Al-Malik, Director of Training and Drivers Qualification, Licensing Agency, RTA cum Head of the Standardized Driving Training Modules in Dubai Team, said, "Recommendations made to the Ministry of Interior included endorsing a system for the gradual issuance of driver licenses of different categories. They also included re-classifying some licenses to bring them in line with the world's best practices and the development seen by the UAE. Three categories have been suggested for motorcycle licenses instead of one category, and consideration will be given to the age of the driver and the engine capacity of the motorcycle. Another suggestion was made for adding a new driver license category between the light and the heavy vehicle in addition to the endorsement of two categories for heavy vehicle licenses (heavy vehicle as per the current classification, and a heavy vehicle with a trailer or semi-trailer)."

(Source: Khaleej Times)

Brits no longer enjoy automatic DL transfer in Qatar

In a major rule change, the Qatari government has made it mandatory for British citizens in Qatar to pass a theoretical exam, driving tests and eye examination in order to obtain a new driving license.

Earlier, holders of a valid full UK driving licence could convert it to a valid Qatari driving licence without any additional tests.

The British Embassy in Doha, in a letter to the country’s nationals in Qatar, spoke about the changes.

“Dear British Community, we have recently been made aware of changes to the requirements for expatriates seeking to obtain a local Qatari driving licence,” the communiqué read.

The letter laid out the ground rules for British nationals to obtain new Qatari licenses.

“From the beginning of 2017, UK licence holders are required to pass a driving test at a government approved testing centre, pass a theory test on local driving rules and pass an eye test. At present, this change does not affect the renewal of existing licences,” it said.

Meanwhile, visitors holding valid full UK licences may still drive for up to 7 days from arrival, or up to 6 months from arrival if held in conjunction with a valid International Driving Licence.

The British Embassy also referred all further enquiries to the Hukoomi Government Portal and the Traffic Department Headquarters at Madinat Khalifa.

(Source: Qatar Living)

Qatar’s roads saw more cars, more accidents and more bad driving in 2012

Qatar residents continued to drive badly in 2012, with the number of accidents resulting in injury jumping nearly 12 percent, according to new figures released by the Traffic Department today.

Nearly 1.2 million traffic violations were issued last year, a 39 percent jump from the previous year, the Ministry of Interior said on Twitter. 

But the surge in punishments don’t appear to have deterred raging roadsters, as Qatar saw some 4,218 accidents resulting in injuries last year, compared to 3,780 in 2011. The number of severe injuries increased some 3.2 percent, while the number of people killed fell half a percent.

Also on the rise: the number of vehicles on Qatar’s congested roads. Some 61,666 more vehicles were added to the streets last year, an increase of 7.6 percent from 2011. That brings the total number of vehicles up to 879,039 - more than 200,000 more cars than in 2010.

Population swells

Meanwhile, new Qatar Statistics Authority figures show that Qatar’s population, now past 1.9 million people, is continuing to grow at a much faster rate than originally estimated - last year increasing 7 percent instead of the 2 percent forecasted by the National Development Strategy.

The ensuing increase in vehicles on Qatar’s roads, in addition to road closures due to construction and poor urban planning, are the key reasons behind traffic jams here, some 4,300 residents said in a recent MOI survey.

The best way to tackle those problems is to increase police presence and enforcement on the roads and teach people the basics of traffic awareness and driving culture, residents added.

(Source: Doha News)

42 KSA cars rack up more than 5,000 traffic violations in Qatar

Qatar’s Traffic Department has asked border officials to keep an eye out for some 42 vehicles registered in Saudi Arabia that have accumulated $742,000 (QR2.7 million) in traffic fines here, the Peninsula reports.

The vehicles’ drivers, who collectively racked up some 5,337 traffic violations in an unknown amount of time, are guilty of running red lights and other violations detected by cameras, a department circular issued to Abu Samra customs officials states.

One vehicle has 643 violations association with it; two more have more than 400, the report states. The least offending vehicle has accumulated 11 fines.

“These vehicles must be seized whenever they are sighted crossing the border either coming in or going out,” the notice states.

Thoughts?

UPDATE: Saudi media is now reporting that 20 KSA-registered vehicles have been impounded at the Qatar-Saudi border. 

According to Gulf News, Qatar authorities halved the fines that drivers needed to pay to get their vehicles back, but Saudis still expressed shock at the steep traffic fees.

UPDATE 2: The MOI tweeted that the Traffic Department has denied halving the traffic fines “for some GCC cars.”

Quoting one driver:

“I have never noticed that I had broken the traffic law,” he said. “However, when last week I wanted to drive into the country, I was told to pay 189,000 Qatari riyals in unpaid fines. I tried to explain that I was not aware of the violations and that I never received anything to inform me about them. They impounded my car and said that I would get it back only after paying the fines,” he said. 

The situation has prompted several Saudi citizens to call for better coordination between the traffic authorities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia to ensure that drivers become instantly aware of their violations and pay their fines on time.

(Source: Doha News)