Motoring fines to fund driving lessons for hard-pressed young adults
Friday, February 19, 2021 @ 5:16 PM
TRAFFIC fines will help fund driving lessons and tests for young adults with little or no income – it's official.
Left-wing party Podemos, in coalition the socialists (PSOE) in national government, proposed that fines for motoring offences be used at least in part for the under-26 age group where they were out of a job or otherwise on very low incomes so that they could meet the costs of learning to drive and pass a test, and Parliament has now agreed unanimously to do so.
Podemos points out that young adults without a driving licence or a job were in a catch-22 situation – they are unable to attend interviews or apply for jobs that would require commuting if they lived in an area with insufficient public transport, such as anywhere outside a major city, and yet, unless they were able to get to a job every day, would never be able to afford driving school fees.
General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) figures showed that, as at 2017, up to 73% of all driving school pupils failed their first test, which adds to the costs.
Also, in Spain, lessons can only be taken via an approved driving academy – normally a physical premises under State control – as it is illegal for them to drive, even off-road and accompanied by an experienced older motorist, until they have passed their test.
Doing so would mean they face a criminal conviction for driving without a valid licence, and this would also apply to the adult supervising them.
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