An increasing number of new learners, who are eligible to secure a driving licence, have been registering with driving schools following the recent reopening of these establishments in Qatar. “We have been very busy since we reopened on August 3 and it seems this will continue in the coming weeks and months. A lot of people are registering," an instructor at a leading driving school in Doha told Gulf Times.
He noted that his work schedule indicates that the demand is growing again.
Apart from the newly registered and eligible candidates, the instructor said they also have to accommodate and continue the training of old students who had registered before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. New and old student drivers started attending their lessons after classes resumed early this month as part of the Qatar government’s directives to gradually lift Covid-19 restrictions in the country, while complying with strict precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Earlier this year, the authorities had temporarily stopped the operations of several business establishments and institutions, including driving schools, to curb the spread of the virus.
The instructor said they remind learners to follow Covid-19 health and safety guidelines during regular classes and practical sessions such as wearing face masks (better if they have face shields/goggles) and gloves, in addition to showing the 'green' code on the Ehteraz app, regular hand sanitation and avoiding physical contact with others, among others.
It is learnt that all vehicles used for road activities are also regularly cleaned and sanitised to ensure the safety of both the instructor and student. Some driving schools such as Dalla Driving Academy reopened on August 3 while others, including Karwa Driving School, started accepting new registrations on August 9 as announced on their social media pages.
However, a number of learners, especially those who registered in early January and now want to continue their training, took to social media their disappointment saying the driving school where they enrolled was yet to notify them.
Driving schools should, he stressed, inform learners about their schedule of classes or sessions.
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