ASIANS who can't read English face an 'L' of an ordeal taking the new written driving tests.

But help is on its way, with the Government rushing out the theory tests in six ethnic minority languages.

"They should be available within the next few weeks," says long-established Pendle driving school chief Muazzam Bokhari, who says Asians will also benefit from the six months relaxation in the new test rules allowing drivers to take their practical exam first and the theory test by the end of the year.

After that, the system will demand the written exam - requiring 29 correct answers to 35 questions randomly selected and covered in the Drivesafe theory book - must be taken first.

Minority tests and supporting literature will be published in Punjabi, Gujerat, Hindi, Bengali, Urdu and Chinese - as well as English and Welsh.

"There is no doubt this will overcome most of the problems we envisaged when the theory tests were announced," said Mr Bokhari, who opened his school in Nelson in 1969.

"They will not, of course, help those who are illiterate in any language, but there are very few of these people these days."

Mr Bokhari added: "I think things will work out well. The Government has recognised the problems and co-operated fully with the ethnic minority."

"The language they use in the tests is very simple and easily understood."

Concern has also been expressed that people who are deaf without speech and often struggle to grasp written work, will have difficulty with the written driving examinations.

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