The Saudi General Directorate of Traffic gave details of the new regulations that will follow the lifting of the ban on the official Saudi Press Agency late on Dec. 15. The rights of Saudi woman are becoming more modern and flexible recent months.
Saudi Arabia has some of the world’s tightest restrictions on women but the 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman has loosened a number of rules, including those applied to women like giving them the right drive. The young royal even lifted the ban on cinemas in the country this month.
On a more notable note, the anti-corruption crackdown by the prince is seen by many as a move to neutralise any remaining rival power centres. Speaking on a number of issues, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to India Saud Bin Mohammed Al-Sati at The Indian Express ‘Idea Exchange’ said the anti-corruption crackdown is a “straight-forward” process.
“Yes, we will authorize women to drive motorcycles,”
as well as trucks, it said, adding that the royal decree stipulates that the law on driving will be “equal” for both men and women.
There will be no special license plate numbers for female-driven cars, it said.
But women involved in road accidents or who commit traffic violations will be dealt with at special centres that will be established and run by women. Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world to impose a ban on women driving and its maintenance was seen around the world as a symbol of repression in the Gulf kingdom.
Its historic decision to allow women to drive from next June has been cheered inside the kingdom and abroad — and comes after decades of resistance from female activists, many of whom were jailed for flouting the ban.
