Driving licence: For men, it’s an ‘automatic’ choice

MUSCAT, Jan 1 - Saleesh, an expatriate employee, was keen on getting a driving licence but unsure of securing one on a geared vehicle. On New Year’s Day, he was at the Traffic Department of Royal Oman Police (ROP) to apply for driving lessons on an automatic.
Saleesh joins many males, both nationals and expats, who have started taking driving lessons on automatic transmission cars, thanks to the ministerial decision taken exactly a year ago.
The decision allowed males to take driving classes on automatic cars from January 1, 2019, an entitlement restricted only to women earlier.
Tuesday saw a beeline of men aspiring for a driving licence at the offices of Traffic Department of ROP.
“The decision to allow men to take driving lessons/tests on automatic cars was announced in January last year following demands from instructors and members of society,” said a senior ROP official.
He said a time of one year had been granted to all the stakeholders to prepare themselves before the decision could be implemented.
The decision came as a relief to all those who were about to give up their “driving dreams” after several failed attempts to get a licence.
“Many males have started switching their learners’ books to automatic from their previous manual gear. There has been a good response to the new rule,” said Ali al Battashi, an instructor.
He has got most of his training cars turned into automatic due to a huge demand. And all his time slots are booked by men.
Ali, however, says manual driving is better than the automatic as it keeps the drivers alert. “Cars with manual gears offer better control, although it’s easier to get a licence on an automatic,” he added.