License category for senior citizens without exam meant to ease process: Ministry

The new license category for those aged 60 and above, allowing them to get a valid driving permit for motorcycles and island pickups with a four hour training programme instead of an exams aims to ease the process for them, the transport ministry has said.

Previously, the Road Vehicle Driving License Regulations enforced since 2021 did not have a category for senior citizens to obtain a special licence. It only had provisions for disabled individuals.

In a statement issued regarding the new regulations, the ministry assured that no previously issued licenses would be affected by this new category, and that no restrictions would be placed for those above the age of 60 to obtain or get new licenses from the general categories for motor vehicle usage.

The ministry said that the special license does not require examinations prescribed in the road vehicle driving license regulations - an amendment, the ministry said, aims to make the process easier for senior citizens to lawfully operate specific types of vehicles.

“The main objective of introducing this permit is to ease and facilitate the driving of certain types of vehicles in the islands, for Maldivians over the age of 60, without needing to pass the examinations prescribed in the general regulations of obtaining a road license," the statement said.

Addressing the initial confusion following the amendment, the ministry advised against spreading posters and articles that mislead the purpose of the change.

According to Sunday's amendment to the regulation, people over the age of 60 can obtain a special licence. The license will be issued after completion of a four-hour program where participants would be taught traffic rules.

However, only vehicles below 60cc can be operated under the license, limited to the island the license was issued in. The license also prohibits driving vehicles on roads allowing speed limits of more than 30km/h.

The amendment detailed that the license would be issued for 10 years. Re-licensure will be issued upon completion of training, while it also has provisions for revoking the license for more than one violation.