The Qatar Tribune reports that the UAE has decided to ban "menial" workers from driving.
Those workers who live in Sharjah, where large groups of foreign workers live, who are in one of 86 occupations, including watchmen, typists, cooks, carpenters, housemaids and gardeners, won't be able to apply for a driving licence in the UAE.
Apparently the aim is to cut congestion - but ignores the fact that there is inadequate public transportation - and also ignores the fact that it is classist.
A similar thing was apparently considered here in Qatar - with so many people moving here the roads are now very congested. The proposed solution.... don't issue driving licenses to non-working expat wives. It ignored the fact that most of these expat wives are responsible for getting their children to and from school, have to do the grocery shopping etc... With practically non-existent public transportation it was just incredibly impractical. The only solution was going to be that either every one was going to hire a driver (therefore not reducing congestion) or the wives would all get some sort of part time job so that they could get a driving license. Fortunately this proposal went nowhere.
But unfortunately, the "menial" workers in the UAE don't have much clout, so will probably be stuck with this extremely discriminatory ruling.
http://qatar-tribune.com/data/20081202/content.asp?section=gulf2_6
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I don't understand how people aren't up in arms about this. It's racism straightforward (like no water fountains for Black people, or no Indians on the trains.) The way they're shoved off into the camps is almost apartheid anyways.
Good lord.
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