Saudi Arabia 'ready' to allow women to drive as lifting of ban nears
Riyadh, May 28: The Saudi Interior Ministry has confirmed its readiness to allow women to drive vehicles in the kingdom, starting from June 24 after decades of a ban.
Assistant Minister of Interior for Operation Affairs General Saeed Al-Qahtani confirmed that all women capable of driving cars can do so, according to an Al Arabiya report on Monday.
He also said female drivers would be on par with males in facing penalties and fines in case of traffic violations.
"Those who will drive cars are our daughters, wives and sisters, and it's our duty to remind them of rules and prevent any harm against them," he said, adding that the decision to allow women to drive serves the country.
He highlighted that security checkpoints would be set up to deal with expected changes in traffic after the ban would be lifted, Xinhua news agency reported.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered in September 2017 to allow women to drive cars after decades of restricting driving only to male citizens and residents.
The order was one of the major steps Saudi Arabia has taken to change the society in general and promote the foundations for a strong economy in particular.
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Poll boycott in Chamarajnagar village: Govt officers, voter injured; booth, EVM destroyed by protest
Chamarajnagar: In an untoward incident reported from Indiganatta village under the Mahadeshwara Hills Gram Panchayat administration limits in Hanur taluk, government officials were injured as they attempted at pacifying a group of angry voters who had declared they were boycotting the polls on Friday.
Tahsildar Guruprasad and Taluk Panchayat Chief Officer Umesh and a police inspector were reportedly injured in the clash. In addition, the protesters are learned to have destroyed the polling booth, including the electronic voting machine (EVM), set up in the village. One of the voters who visited the booth was reportedly injured in the head in the incident.
Angry over the non-availability of infrastructure in their village, the voters in Indiganatta declared that they would not exercise their right to franchise on Friday. Guruprasad, Umesh and the police officer, who were informed of the boycott, visited Indiganatta to appease the voters and get them to cast vote. The group of voters, however, directed their anger at the officers, resulting in the trio being injured.
The protesters in Indiganatta were not only adamant about their boycott, but also infuriated by the sight of other voters in the village cast ballot at the polling booth. In anger, they initially had an argument with the voters but later forced their way into the booth and reportedly destroyed the EVM there.
Polling is currently reported to have been stalled in Indiganatta due to the violent incident.
