Okaz/Saudi Gazette

WOMEN in the Kingdom are eagerly awaiting results of the tripartite committee recommendations specifying the modalities of granting driving licenses to them.

A royal decree has tasked the tripartite committee comprising officials of the ministries of interior, finance and labor and social development to come up with recommendations after a month of deliberations. Since that period is now over, an announcement on ways to deal with women motorists in the field or administratively, is expected soon, Col. Tariq Al-Rubaian, spokesman of the Traffic Department said in an interview with the Saudi Al-Ekhbariah TV channel recently.

The committee was assigned to study ways to implement rules of traffic regulations and their executive bylaws and issue driving licenses to women to allow them to drive vehicles starting later this year.

The royal directives had mentioned that the recommendations and arrangements ought to be in conformity with the Shariah law and the regulations in force.

As to the directives of the Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz Bin Saud Bin Naif to set new speed limits on roads, Al-Rubaian said traffic density in the area and road specifications will have be to taken into consideration in this regard. The speed limit on major roads within Saudi cities will be raised upto a maximum of 80 km per hour.

He said Saher cameras would monitor motorists driving at speeds higher than 80 kph and speed limit signboards will be replaced.

Al-Rubaian stressed that the speed limit on highways linking the Kingdom’s cities and governorates will not change and will remain at 120 kph.