Ministers are set to ban people from taking the UK driving test in a foreign language, amid fears that they cannot read road signs in English.
Under current rules, candidates are allowed to sit the theory test in 19 foreign languages, aided by either an interpreter or voiceovers. They are also permitted to have a translator present at the practical test. Some 60,000 people sat tests in foreign languages last year alone.
There are growing concerns that these motorists are unable to read road signs and thus are unsafe to drive on British roads, while the Government also wants to reduce levels of fraud; it has been suggested that having an interpreter allows people to cheat.
Over 1,000 licences have been revoked since 2009 after evidence of fraud was found during the tests. Several people have been jailed for such actions, including Solomon Tweneboah (you can read more about that here).
The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: “We want to make sure that all drivers have the right skills to use our roads safely and responsibly and one way we can do this is by requiring all test candidates to take the test in English or Welsh.
“This will help to ensure that all new drivers will be able to understand traffic updates or emergency information when they pass their test. It will also help us to reduce the risk of fraud by stopping interpreters from indicating the correct answers to theory test questions.”
The ban, which is being led by the road safety minister Stephen Hammond, is set to begin in February next year and has already been met with strong support from the public. More than 70 per cent of people supported the move in a consultation which was run earlier this year.
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