America: President Trump makes English compulsory for truck drivers
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has, through an executive order, directed his administration to make English compulsory for all truck drivers.
The drivers must be good at speaking and understanding English, the media reported.
Sikh and other groups in the US are concerned about the decision, as it will affect employment opportunities for the truckers of the community.
The order is called ‘Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers.’
Trump said English had been declared the official language of the USA on March 1, 2025. Hence, truck drivers should be able to read and understand the traffic signals, border patrol, cargo weight limits, and agricultural checkpoints.
“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.
The Sikh Coalition, a group in the United States that supports Sikh rights, has raised concerns regarding this decision. They are worried about the employment opportunities for the Sikh community.
More than 150,000 Sikhs are in the trucking industry, and over 30,000 Sikhs joined between 2016 and 2018. The organization states that it will snatch job opportunities from the qualified individuals and is a discriminatory action against the Sikh community.
(Subham Singh)
