Renew expats driving licenses every two years : Bahrain MP

Manama : The driving licences of expatriates in the Kingdom should be renewed every two years, just like their residency permits, to prevent the misuse of traffic laws, urged MP Jalal Kadhim. As of now, driving licences come with a five-year validity.

“The current legal situation has proved its inability to deter foreigners from misusing the system,” MP Jalal Kadhim said in an interview to a local Arabic daily.

He also revealed that he has submitted a bill to the Council for the purpose.

“Many foreigners are working illegally in the Kingdom as drivers in various sectors including transportation, retail, constructions and services,” the MP said adding: “This is having a negative impact on the businesses owned by the Bahrainis.”

He also suggested it as one of the reasons for the traffic congestions in the Kingdom, as the foreigners who own driving licences also own vehicles here.

Supporting his claims, the MP said that there are “over 60,000 irregular workers in Bahrain, who holds driving licences valid for five years, unlike residency permits.”

As a solution, he suggested linking driving licence validity and their residency permits.

This, according to him, will not only solve the issue of illegal workers in the Kingdom but also bring more revenues to the state coffers.

Citing a recent statement by the Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the MP said that there are 307,000 non-Bahrainis in the Kingdom with driving licences, which includes 256,000 private vehicles licences, when compared with the number of 383,000 Bahraini drivers and 5,000 GCC nationals.

However, the bill will come up for discussion only during the final legislative term, which is expected to begin in October this year.