Vehicles displaying ‘L’ (Learner) plates and vehicles driven by learner permit holders are not permitted to enter expressways, Police have clarified.
A learner’s permit is issued solely for driving practice and does not authorise the holder to operate a vehicle on an expressway, where a valid full driving licence is mandatory.
Police said the restriction applies even when a fully licensed driver is seated alongside the learner. The presence of a qualified driver does not make a vehicle carrying ‘L’ plates eligible to use an expressway.
“Vehicles driven by learner permit holders will be denied access at expressway entry points,” Police said. “If a learner-driven vehicle enters an expressway in violation of the law, the driver may face legal action, including fines or prosecution.”
Police also warned of a financial consequence that drivers may not anticipate: insurance claims arising from accidents involving vehicles being operated unlawfully may be rejected. A learner found to have driven onto an expressway without entitlement could therefore be left personally exposed to the cost of a crash, in addition to any fine or prosecution.
Expressways carry higher speed limits and merging demands than ordinary roads, which is the practical basis for restricting them to fully licensed drivers. The clarification follows a run of road-safety enforcement measures on the network, including the extension of rear-seat seatbelt requirements to expressway travel and mandatory roadworthiness testing for buses.
