BULAWAYO - Government has set up a project which seeks to provide a cheaper way for women and youths in Bulawayo to obtain drivers’ licences.
Women will pay an affordable amount of $5 instead of $20 for their provisional licences and the ministry of Youth Empowerment and Indigenisation will liaise with different driving schools in the city to charge affordable fees for the 30 lessons, and for the proficiency test, a fairly affordable amount will be charged.
In an interview with the Daily News, the Coordinator of the Youth Driving Initiative Programme Allen Mavunga said the programme seeks to increase the number of women drivers in Bulawayo.
Mavunga said Youth Empowerment and Indigenisation minister Francis Nhema had asked him to work on the youth driving project and make sure that the initiative succeeded.
“Through the initiative, the government seeks to empower women to drive and to increase the number of women drivers in Bulawayo since there are more kombi drivers in Harare than in the Bulawayo,” he said.
The initiative is also set to reduce accidents in roads as it is said that women are more cautious than men.
Mavunga said the programme which has already been initiated in other cities in the country has become popular.
“Approximately 65 women have registered and the response has been fairly good since the establishment of the initiative. The first initiative was held in Chitungwiza where 70 women attended and 90 percent passed driving proficiency tests.”
The programme has been going on in Harare, Ntabazinduna and Umguza.
“Women are expected to bring a Highway Code as we are expecting a 100 percent pass rate and the initiative is open for women from the age of 16 to 35 years.
“However, the ministry did not offer to pay for the other 30 lessons and we are still negotiating with them to pay but they are working with Traffic Safety Council of Zimbabwe and the lessons are to be held at the council’s offices,” he said.