KUWAIT: An informed police source at the traffic department said Acting Interior Ministry Assistant Undersecretary Maj Gen Jamal Al-Sayegh asked senior officials in the licensing sector to conduct a full study on the decision to link expats' driving licenses with the expiry of their residence permits.

The source said officials at the sector have spoken to Sayegh several times about the decision, which has caused confusion and crowding at traffic departments in the six governorates, and asked for a solution to amend the decision. Sayegh then asked them to conduct the study to find the best solutions.

The source said the senior officials recommended that validity of licenses be decoupled from the duration of the residency, and that the license should be renewed for five years. When the residence permit expires, the license will be considered cancelled automatically. The source said officials said fines for violations will remain linked to the residence permit, which will not be renewed until the fines are paid. - Al-Jarida