In his veto message, Fitial reminded the Legislature that it believed in the importance of the mandatory driver education program which it created five years ago when it passed the measure that became Public Law 15-25.
This law paved the way for the establishment of a private driving school on Saipan, which charges each student $350.
Last year, in response to concerns raised by students and parents who said they couldn’t afford to pay $350, Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes, R-Saipan, introduced Senate Bill 17-20 which will authorize BMV to offer a driving class to first time drivers. The bill also increases the driver’s license fee from $15 to $40.
The Senate passed S.B. 17-20 in February while the House approved it in March.
The governor said he is sympathetic with the concerns stated in S.B. 17-20 with respect to affordability of the driver education program.
He noted that there is only one commercial business providing this service on Saipan, and none on Tinian and Rota.
But the governor said the BMV is neither ready nor equipped to establish a driver education program.
“Establishing [the] program entails training instructors, drafting an approved curriculum, acquiring vehicles, insuring them, and factoring in the cost of fuel for the driving instruction portion of the program,” Fitial said.
“It also exposes the government to liability should accidents occur with a student driver,” he added.
According to the governor, the proposed increase in the driver’s license fee does not fund the driver education program because S.B. 17-20 allots 50 percent of the license fees to the Department of Public Works and the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. for maintaining roads and lighting the streets.
Reyes, in an interview, said there will be a “continuing problem with young people who want to drive in the commonwealth.”
He added, “Now, we go back to the expensive way which indigent members of the public cannot afford.”
Reyes said the Legislature is trying to find a way to make driver education affordable.
As a result of the governor’s veto, the issue of driving without a license will continue, he added.
