Manama: Qatar's traffic department has warned driving schools of stern action, including closure, if they fail to upgrade their services and facilities in line with the new regulations.
All driving schools in the country had been given until August 1 to meet the new requirements and the traffic department has intensified inspections to ensure that they complied with the rules.
Brigadier Mohammad Marafi, head of planning and traffic safety and a member of the evaluation panel for driving schools, said the department had come across several violations during the inspections, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported on Sunday.
Violations included trainers in the schools working without a valid licence from the department, cars used by the schools that were more than five years old and unfit for training and the lack of space inside schools, especially for heavy vehicle training.
According to the official, most schools needed to increase the number of their cars by about 20 per cent and must provide signals and roundabouts inside their premises for training. In one school, the hall used for theoretical classes was too small.
If a school is closed, the trainees will be shifted to other facilities, but the erring school will have to bear the costs, he said.
