The Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified certain aspects of the qualifications a driver would need to be granted a licence to drive a motor bus or a goods vehicle and for re-migrants.
In a press release issued on Monday, the ministry said that previously, Regulation 33 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Regulations only addressed drivers who wanted to obtain a licence to drive a hire car. The requirements were that the person must be at least 21 years old; capable of reading and writing English; the holder of a Guyanese driving licence for a minimum of two years and must submit a statement signed by a licensing officer stating that the applicant had been successful in the examination covering the legal provisions relating to traffic.
However, there were no similar provisions to be satisfied by a person who wished to drive a motor bus or a goods vehicle, the ministry said. Accordingly, the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations No 2 of 2013 amends Regulation 33, applying the same standards that must be met to drive a hire care for the purposes of driving a motor bus or goods vehicles. These amendments would only apply to new applicants for driving motor buses and goods vehicles unless otherwise directed.
The amendment also institutes arrangements to facilitate re-migrants who have years of driving experience in another country but have failed to satisfy the two-year minimum requirement here. In such cases the re-migrant must submit a Guyanese driving licence together with a valid driving licence and a licence for the class of vehicle s/he desires to obtain, both issued by the competent authority of a country other than Guyana. The re-migrant still has to show proof of age, literacy and examination requirements.
The notice of an amendment to the regulations has been laid in the National Assembly, pursuant to Section 104 of the Motor Vehicles and Road Traffic Act Cap 51:02, which provides that regulations made under this Act are subject to negative resolution of the National Assembly.
