Driving schools in Qatar ready to reopen

Driving schools in Qatar ready to reopen

As the easing of COVID-19 restriction entered its third phase in Qatar, driving schools are preparing to take student drivers to roads after months-long hiatus. 

An official at the Karwa Driving School operated by Mowasalat, the sole public transport company in Doha, said it would reopen on August 9. 

Some of the schools have already started admissions, while some have batches of student drivers ready for practical lessons and test after having finished theory classes and tests.

The driving schools were closed on March 22 as part of the COVID-19 containment measures announced in response to the pandemic outbreak in Qatar.

While on-road training remained suspended until now, driving schools were permitted to provide theory classes online from July 1, when the second phase of removing COVID-19 restrictions began.

A senior employee at a driving school at Hilal said it has started the registration for on-road training and the students will be admitted with strict COVID-19 protocol and with prior appointment.

Qatar started lifting its lockdown restrictions in four phases starting on July 15, when some mosques, parks and stores in commercial complexes were allowed to open at limited capacity among other rollbacks of curbs. 

The second phase began on July 1 and saw more relaxations. The third phase that started on July 28 will see barbershops and gyms opening for the first time in Qatar since their closures following the coronavirus outbreak.