'Decline' in number of learners at driving schools

While the winter is considered a peak period for most driving schools in Qatar, the number of learners joining the schools has 'decreased' since the end of November, sources have said.

Speaking to Gulf Times, an instructor at one of the biggest driving schools in the country noted that they are "seeing several gaps” in their training schedule.He said the school has got fewer learners in the past weeks compared to the period after the Eid al-Fitr holidays until the third week of November.“We are more relaxed now, we have a lot of breaks, and you will see that at least 60% of our cars are parked here at the training venue the whole day,” the instructor said. In many cases, he said he only gets one or two learners from 7am to 11am. He added that such a trend is unusual, particularly for those who apply for driving licences for light vehicles during this peak period compared to the previous years where they received a large number of learners.According to the instructor, one possible reason is “the very low passing rate” , with only about 3% of the 70 candidates who take the test clearing it in a day. On some occasions, the figure increases to 4%, and up to 7% at the most, which means that three to five persons (for light vehicles) pass the test per day. Learners who fail in the two road test attempts can register again in a driving school of their choice either for a full or a half course. Some driving schools offer discounts to attract customers.“However, to register again for another try means a learner has to pay QR2,800 again or less (half course with discount, excluding other fees), which for many is a big amount of money,” the instructor pointed out. There is still no guarantee one would pass even after the second course, he added.This statement was echoed by an employee of another driving school, saying they have also posted a slight decrease in the number of learners.He cited growing competition in the industry with many driving schools trying to attract learners with discounts, services and flexible training schedules.Despite the growing expatriate population, he explained that the ban on 240 categories of workers prevents many from securing a driving licence. “It is a possible reason for the decline in the number of learners,” the employee added. He said getting a driving licence in the country might become more difficult in the coming days due to the Traffic Department’s aim of awarding licences only to deserving candidates in a bid to make Qatar's roads safer.