Measure is valid for all categories; bill establishes that the value of fines will be allocated to cover the costs of licenses for low-income people
The Senate approved on Wednesday (Dec 18, 2024) a bill that makes toxicological testing mandatory for anyone renewing or obtaining their 1st CNH (National Driving License). The is valid for all categories, including professional drivers.
The text had changes made by senators and, therefore, will now return to the Chamber of Deputies to be analyzed again.
Drivers of private transport apps will also have to take the exam. The senator (PL-RJ), author of the amendment on toxicological testing, said that these professionals must pay for their own tests, as they are not considered employees of a company.
In addition to the mandatory exam, the Senate approved, in the same bill, the use of the amount collected in fines to pay for driver’s licenses for low-income people. Read (PDF – 244 kB)
The original project was authored by the federal deputy (PT-CE). In his justification, Guimarães detailed that the cost of obtaining a driver’s license is high and cited the professional opportunities that a license brings.
“In some States, the final cost for a candidate for a National Driving License – CNH – is close to R$2,500.00, an amount that turns the right to drive into a distant dream. Recently, the license to drive cars has reinforced its economic nature. The growth in opportunities to work in deliveries or passenger transport represented, for many, the only alternative to dealing with unemployment and the crisis we still face. Those who are unable to obtain the document, however, were excluded from this possibility, which perpetuates their unfavorable condition and maintains this perverse vicious cycle of exclusion.”, declared the deputy.
The senator (PT-AP) stated that the free driver’s license will help combat inequality and open up opportunities in the job market. He said that the measure has already been approved in other Brazilian states and, for many, it is the only way to obtain the document.
Two other amendments were incorporated by the Senate. One by the then senator (PL-SC), who proposed that the transfer of vehicle ownership be done entirely electronically. The 2nd was from the senator (PL-ES), which increases the minimum score for license suspension from 40 to 50 points, as long as there is no serious infraction registered in the name of the driver.
