THE Ministry of Home Affairs yesterday moved to provide clarity by reminding the public what are the qualifications for obtaining driving licences.

In a statement, the ministry outlined what are required for the granting of licences to drive hire cars, motor buses or goods vehicles, and outlined the procedures to be followed by remigrants who may have years of driving experience in other countries and now wish to apply here.
The advisory pointed out that, previously, Regulation 33 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations dealt only with a person who wanted to obtain a licence to drive a hire car, stating that the applicant must be:
* At least 21 years of age
* capable of reading and writing English
* be the holder of a Guyanese driving licence for a minimum period of two years, and
* must submit a statement signed by a licensing officer to the effect that the applicant has been successful in the examination covering the legal provisions relating to traffic.

However, it was noted that there were no similar provisions identifying the qualifications to be satisfied by a person who wished to drive a motor bus or a goods vehicle.
Accordingly, the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations Number Two of 2013 amended Regulation 33, applying the same standards that must be met to drive a hire car for the purposes of driving a motor bus or a goods vehicle, the statement added.
The ministry explained that those amendments would apply only to new applicants for driving motor buses and goods vehicles, unless otherwise directed.

INSTITUTE ARRANGEMENTS
Additionally, the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations Number Two of 2013 has sought to institute arrangements to facilitate remigrants who have years of driving experience in another country, but have failed to satisfy the two years’ minimum requirement to be eligible to drive a hire car, motor bus or goods vehicle.
In such an event, a remigrant would be allowed to submit a Guyanese driving licence together with a valid driving licence and a licence for the class of vehicle that the person desires to obtain, both issued by the competent authority of a country other than Guyana.
The remigrant still has to show proof of age, literacy, and examination requirements, the statement said.
The ministry said notice of an amendment to the  Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic regulations has been laid in the National Assembly, pursuant to Section 104 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act, Chapter 51:02, which provides that regulations made under it are subject to negative resolution of the National Assembly.