[Image for representation purpose only.]
Riyadh: About two months after Saudi Arabia allowed women to drive, the Kingdoms' General Department of Traffic (GDT) on Friday announced that women will be allowed to drive trucks once the required conditions and guidelines have been met; now in force for men only.
Saudi women will also be allowed to drive motorcycles as per the royal decree announced in September, which comes into effect in June 2018.
There would be no discrimination against women’s cars with plates and special numbers, the vehicles will be subjected to the same rules currently stated in the seventh article of the traffic law system.
On September 26, 2017, King Salman ordered the issuance of driver's licenses for women in Saudi Arabia. The decree orders the formation of a ministerial body to give advice on the practicalities of the edict within 30 days and to ensure the full implementation of the order by June 2018.
The decree referred to the "negative effects of not allowing women to drive vehicles, and the positive effects envisaged from allowing them to do so" within the context of Islamic laws.
A royal decree was also issued to apply the traffic regulations including the issuance of driving licenses for both males and females, and to form a high-level committee of ministries (Interior, Finance, Labor and Social Development) to study the required arrangements to enforce it.
The issue of women driving has been the subject of debate in Saudi Arabia for many years. Hence the decision to allow women driving was taken with lot of interest, and was also hailed as a major turning point for females in the Kingdom.
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