Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP) plans to hire policewomen to conduct driving tests for women who do not want to be tested by men.

The ROP says the policewoman rank should be at least on the sergeant level, having a valid drivers license and have a secondary school certificate.

Nasra Al Harthi, an Omani woman, told Gulf News that such a step would make women more comfortable during the testing.

78,819 drivers licenses were issued in 2014-58,188 males and 20,631 females.