EDITORIAL: Illiterate Drivers

It's been announced by the Vehicle and Driver Licensing Authority (VDLA) that from next year only people who can read and write would be allowed to apply for and own driving licenses. We appreciate where this is coming from, but wait a minute, let's exercise caution.

A little history would suffice here: In the immediate pre and post independence periods many of our drivers were illiterate. But these were periods we had much more discipline on our roads and needless accidents were rare.

Discipline on roads comes from basic courtesies and respect for the rules. It is equally essential for all road users, drivers and pedestrians, to have an understanding of road signs. Constant public education through the media can instill that.

You can have the best education and own the most prestigious driving license, but if you fail to observe the simple axiom of "If you drink, don't drive and if you drive don't drink", for example, then both your education and license are of no use to road safety.

What we are driving at is that, yes, we support tightening up of the driving license acquisition regime, but the VDLA must not disenfranchise such a huge section of society.

Instead, the VDLA must come up with a comprehensive public education programme on road use which would be accessible to all of us, literate and illiterate and we are sure that would go a long way in solving some of the problems on our roads.