Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/637230
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 7 FEBRUARY 2016 4 News MARTINA BORG MOTORING schools have ex- pressed concerns about a licensing scheme launched in January to al- low Category B licence holders to ride motor scooters. A licence is granted to whoever completes a 10-hour course, irre- spective of the performance levels of the applicants. The scheme, a budgetary meas- ure, seeks to encourage more peo- ple to opt for small motorcycles rather than cars, with the ultimate aim of alleviating the burgeoning traffic and parking problems. Under the scheme, Category B licence holders are being certified to ride motorcycles with a cylinder capacity that does not exceed 125cc and a power rating of 11KW or lower, following a 10-hour training course, which includes seven hours of practical training. Some 48 drivers have successfully completed their training courses so far, Transport Malta told this news- room. "To date, 48 drivers, made up of 42 males and six females, have successfully completed the training course and been awarded the cer- tificate," it said, adding that their li- cence was soon going to be updated accordingly. The interest in scooter licences may naturally be a cause for cel- ebration for motoring schools, with the majority of the schools who corresponded with MaltaToday saying they had registered increases in requests for lessons. However, a quick exercise into what the courses actually entail revealed that motoring schools have no power to prevent those who complete their 10-hour course from setting off on the road, re- gardless of their performance. The schools unanimously explained that applicants were only bound to 10 hours of lessons, and that they were encouraged to take more les- sons if they weren't deemed road worthy yet. They are not bound to do a test about their riding skills. However, ultimately the onus for road safety rested on the riders themselves. "As instructors, we are concerned about the fact that unfortunately if we do not think a person is fit to ride after the 10 hour course, we have no say about it," a spokesper- son for Rudolph Motoring School said. "A candidate will still receive the attendance certificate and eventu- ally an updated licence regardless of how safe he or she is as a bike rider," they said. They explained however, that despite the fact that they had had a number of applicants under the scheme already, a case of an unsafe rider had not arisen so far. Similarly, a spokesperson for Cy- cle World explained that given that they acknowledged that riding a motorcycle can be somewhat dan- gerous, they want to approach the new system 'cautiously' to allow them to prepare in the most profes- sional way possible. Asked whether applicants were finding the transition from a cate- gory B licence to a scooter easy, the school stressed that this normally depended on the ability of the stu- dent to keep balance on the bike and that the previous licence has no bearing whatsoever on the way a person will handle a motorbike. Another school, Philip's motoring school, explained that applicants who had experience of riding bi- cycles had found the courses much easier so far. The schools also pointed out that the scheme had opened up a new customer niche, which might es- sentially affect more traditional li- cences. "Before, most customers used to choose the more advanced cat- egories, such as A2 or A since, cost wise, there is not much difference from A1 (the licence offered under the scheme)," Cycle World said. Alternately, a spokesperson for Philip's Motoring School told Malta Today that the scheme had actually served to better expose the company's services. "From our experience so far, the students who have finished their courses have already enquired re- garding applying for a full licence," the school said, adding that some 30 students had already completed their courses with them. However, the school also ex- plained that students were encour- aged to take additional training ses- sions if they felt like they were not safe enough to take to the road yet. "We don't just want these riders to get a licence, we want them to be safe riders above everything," they said. Motoring schools have no power to prevent those who complete their 10- hour course from setting off on the road, regardless of their performance "A candidate will still receive the attendance certificate and eventually an updated licence regardless of how safe he or she is as a bike rider" Scooter licence too easy for drivers to get Independent schools urge police to manage their traffic TIM DIACONO INDEPENDENT schools are call- ing on the police to manage the traffic around their premises for free, just as they do for govern- ment schools. Nello Calleja, operations man- ager at Chiswick House School, told MaltaToday that the police force and government have con- sistently told them that police officers are "only obliged to con- trol traffic around government schools". "We would love a police of- ficer to control traffic by our school at the start and end of the school day, but we have consist- ently been told that they are not obliged to do so as we are a pri- vate school," Calleja said. A parliamentary question in 2014 to then home affairs minis- ter Manuel Mallia revealed that 91 police officers are assigned to control traffic by government schools every weekday – at the start and end of the school day. Three officers were similarly as- signed to church schools, but none to independent schools. Indeed, those police officers seen shepherding traffic outside independent schools – such as St Michael Foundation – are carry- ing out extra duties, and paid for by the school. "For safety reasons, I chose to hire a police officer for half an hour every weekday, at the end of the school day," the school's director, Alfred Carabott said. "However, I absolutely believe that the government should bear the costs as it does for police sta- tioned outside state schools. It is only fair." Joe Gauci, principal of San An- ton School, confirmed that the Independent Schools Associa- tion, of which he is president, is in discussion with the govern- ment over the problem. "We have argued in favour of the pres- ence of a police officer outside all schools in meetings with the rel- evant authorities on a number of occasions," he said. "Although they have shown openness to the idea, there seems to be difficulty to extend this service to schools other than state schools due to a lack of available policemen." San Anton is in discussion with the police force over the presence of an officer to shepherd traffic, to replace the current warden. "Government should bear the costs as it does for police stationed outside state schools. It is only fair."