Trump mandates English proficiency for truckers, Sikh body opposes move
US President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order mandating that truck drivers in America are proficient in English, a requirement that has raised concerns among Sikh advocacy groups who say it can have a “discriminatory impact” on truckers from the community and create unnecessary barriers to employment.
The Executive Order, ‘Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers’, says America’s truck drivers are essential to the strength of the country’s economy, its security and the livelihoods of the American people.
“Proficiency in English,” which Trump has designated as America’s official national language, “should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers. They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the order, issued Monday, read.
“Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English. This is common sense,” the order added. It noted that while federal law required that to operate a commercial vehicle a driver must “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records”, the requirement had not been enforced in years, and roadways had become less safe.
“My administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers, and others, including by upholding the safety enforcement regulations that ensure that anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is properly qualified and proficient in our national language, English,” Trump said in the order.
Advocacy group Sikh Coalition said it was “deeply concerned” about Trump’s order that sought to “ensure all commercial vehicle operators in the United States are proficient English speakers”.
“We understand that, under this order, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will be directed to rescind and replace guidance to strengthen inspection procedures for compliance with English proficiency requirements,” it said.
Sikh Coalition said the Executive Order raised significant concerns for the Sikh community, which had a substantial presence in the American trucking industry.
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