Students raise doubts over night-time driving lessons

Six months after the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) issued its new driving curriculum, some student drivers are finding fault with one rule.

The new curriculum for learners trying to get their licence involves two hours of night-driving lessons, but female drivers can skip the lessons if cultural reasons prevent them from going out at night, according to the RTA.

“We’re looking at a way around it. For male drivers, it’s a requirement, but for female drivers who are uncomfortable with it, we are waiving the lessons,” said Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of the RTA Licensing Agency.

That’s something, student driver Lilian Geron says, needs to 
be changed.

“I don’t think there should be special treatment for women because both men and women will be driving on the same road,” said Geron, who was waiting in line on Monday for her lesson at the Dubai Driving Center on Jumeirah Road.

Geron said she plans to take the night lessons since her work hours may involve coming home during the late evening hours. She recommends other female drivers to do the same. “This is beneficial because the risks we may encounter during the day would be different from the risks at night. In my opinion, women shouldn’t skip these lessons,” Geron said.

The new driving curriculum was ushered in at the beginning of the year and focuses on light-motor vehicles. In addition to the night-driving lessons, student drivers take part in eight classroom sessions that focus on safe driving, Bahrozyan said. If you’re a new driver, the cost of getting a licence at the Dubai Driving Center is Dh4,590. At the Belhasa Driving Center branches, it costs Dh4,535.

Nada Andiz, who was also waiting in line for a driving class, said she hasn’t decided if she will take the night-driving lesson.

She’s in favour of female student drivers having the option to opt out of those lessons.

“As a beginner, I prefer to be learning in the day,” Andiz said, who noted that drivers tend to get worse during the night.

“I don’t mind having night classes but the drivers go mad on the roads at night and that’s why I get scared driving at night,” Andiz said, adding that some of the worst drivers she’s seen tend to be males.

But student driver Abazar Daak said with some women opting out of their night-driving lessons, he’ll be more careful when he sees female drivers on the roads. “I wouldn’t feel safe if I saw women driving at night because they didn’t take the night lessons,” he said.

“I think they must take it, because I tell you it gives you more experience as there’s a big difference driving at night and during the day. There’re certain accidents that only happen during the night and not during the day, so these lessons give you more experience,” Daak said.

Bahrozyan argued the new driving curriculum is still a step forward from the previous one. “The old system didn’t have these night lessons, so it’s not like we’re taking a step backward,” he said.

“But I would encourage parents to get their daughters to do the nighttime training because they’ll be better drivers.”

alizafar@khaleejtimes.com