Hitting the road unequipped?
Hitting the road unequipped?
27 January, 2011 - Many Bhutanese pick up driving from whatever little coaching they receive from their friends and family members. Within weeks, they take off for the road, with or without license.
Deprived of formal driving training, most Bhutanese drivers lack road ethics, traffic officials said. Traffic superintendent, Major Passang Dorji said this was more visible with the increasing number of vehicles in the country.He said tailgating, honking excessively, over speeding, unnecessary overtaking of cars, ignoring the right of way, driving on the wrong lanes, parking at odd places and not using blinkers were some of the common mistakes spotted with the Bhutanese drivers. While many did not posses a driving license, there were others who obtained the document through illegal means, missing out on formal trainings. A taxi driver in Thimphu, Ugyen, said long procedures involved in acquiring driving license, including difficult practical tests, kept many from going through a proper channel.Meanwhile, road safety and transport authoritys regional transport officer (RTO) Dophu said unlike before, obtaining license was much easier.In the capital, it can be done in a day if the driver managed to pass during all three stages of the test, he said, adding in dzongkhags, it took maximum of four days. Drivers had to sit for a theory, three point turn and highway driving tests.In a day, more than 80 people came for the test in Thimphu, conducted twice a week, he said. About 50 to 60 got through. Dophu said before issuing the license, drivers were given a refreshers course where they were taught driving ethics and RSTA rules for a day.Observers pointed out the one day refreshers course was inadequate and needed awareness initiatives for drivers. Major Passang Dorji said traffic officials were often involved in educating the drivers but not many followed it.Acquiring license illegally is not just a violation but a big criminal offense, he said.Records with t! raffic p olice show there were about 1,436 accident cases in 2009 and 1,260 in 2010.By Dawa Gyelmo
27 January, 2011 - Many Bhutanese pick up driving from whatever little coaching they receive from their friends and family members. Within weeks, they take off for the road, with or without license.
Deprived of formal driving training, most Bhutanese drivers lack road ethics, traffic officials said. Traffic superintendent, Major Passang Dorji said this was more visible with the increasing number of vehicles in the country.He said tailgating, honking excessively, over speeding, unnecessary overtaking of cars, ignoring the right of way, driving on the wrong lanes, parking at odd places and not using blinkers were some of the common mistakes spotted with the Bhutanese drivers. While many did not posses a driving license, there were others who obtained the document through illegal means, missing out on formal trainings. A taxi driver in Thimphu, Ugyen, said long procedures involved in acquiring driving license, including difficult practical tests, kept many from going through a proper channel.Meanwhile, road safety and transport authoritys regional transport officer (RTO) Dophu said unlike before, obtaining license was much easier.In the capital, it can be done in a day if the driver managed to pass during all three stages of the test, he said, adding in dzongkhags, it took maximum of four days. Drivers had to sit for a theory, three point turn and highway driving tests.In a day, more than 80 people came for the test in Thimphu, conducted twice a week, he said. About 50 to 60 got through. Dophu said before issuing the license, drivers were given a refreshers course where they were taught driving ethics and RSTA rules for a day.Observers pointed out the one day refreshers course was inadequate and needed awareness initiatives for drivers. Major Passang Dorji said traffic officials were often involved in educating the drivers but not many followed it.Acquiring license illegally is not just a violation but a big criminal offense, he said.Records with t! raffic p olice show there were about 1,436 accident cases in 2009 and 1,260 in 2010.By Dawa Gyelmo
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