Young potential heavy goods vehicle drivers as well as driving instructors are feeling the blow of the Barbados Licensing Authority’s abrupt end to issuing such licences to people under the age of 25 in an effort to comply with legislative changes.
Among them is 21-year-old aspiring forklift operator Marco Moore who has so far spent $400 in pursuit of getting a heavy goods licence and is pleading with authorities to give him and other young people in similar circumstances a chance.
“Even if you say that you have to be 25 years or over, I believe the people who have the permit already should still be able to do their test because they already paid and everything,” he argued.
Moore was issued with a driver’s permit in July this year although the age for acquiring a heavy goods licence was changed from 18 to 25 years when an amendment to the Road Traffic Act was passed by lawmakers in 2017.
According to the amendment to Section 69 (1) of the Act, “a driving licence shall not be issued or endorsed as valid to an applicant who is under the age of 25 years, for the purpose of driving a public service vehicle that is not a self-driven or hired car, a motor tractor, or a heavy goods vehicle; or under the age of 18 years for the purpose of driving a self-driven or hired car.”
The Barbados Licensing Authority had still been allowing individuals from as young as 18 to test for a heavy goods vehicle licence, seemingly unaware of the amendment. However, after the issue was raised publicly recently, officials at the government agency decided to enforce the amended legislation.
As a result, Moore was informed a week ago that he could no longer continue his driving lessons and would not be allowed to take the test on December 6.
“Recently I have been hearing talks about ‘you have to be 25 and over to have the heavy duty permit’, but I thought it was for people who were now coming to do their test,” he said.
“I can’t drive anymore. I can’t drive heavy duty, even practise. So I will have to drop down to light goods, but I already told the place I work at now that I am getting my licence for December 6 this year.”
The Friendship Terrace, St Michael resident said he has already paid $80 for his permit and spent over $320 on driving lessons.
He believes that as his permit was granted, through no fault of his own, he should be allowed to do the test that he was looking forward to passing to get his dream job.
Moore said he was concerned that he and other young people would not be able to take advantage of opportunities because of this setback.
“So now, it is a case where I can’t do certain tasks at work now, and people who come in with heavy duty will be up the pecking order. So this is putting me at a disadvantage and many other young people who are looking for employment,” he said.
“Also, the people who are teaching heavy duty, their clients can’t do it anymore. So basically they are losing out in these hard times.”
One of the island’s main driving instructors in the heavy goods category told Barbados TODAY his operation had been dealt a major blow since the Licensing Authority’s decision to finally recognise the law.
He explained that instead of giving five or six lessons per day, he was lucky to get even one learner.
“The truck is home now sitting down. I can’t do a thing. I can only do those who are over the age of 25, and the way it is the over-25s are not much. The most people that drive are those between 18 and 25.
“While I might understand that was put in place for the young people driving the ZRs and causing problems, now it is causing a problem where you got simple people that may want to drive a truck for everyday living can’t do it,” said the instructor who did not want to be identified.
“There was actually a person who went out on a driving test and they called them back and said ‘no, you can’t do this test’. So that one nearly slipped through the crack, too,” he added.
Officials are said to be in the process of reviewing the specific section of the legislation with a view to having it repealed. However, no date has been set for this to take place.
