We are all aware that public buses are one of the most important means of transportation for members of society, whether they are Saudis or non-Saudis. The most important reason for that is the reasonable price to travel between places around the Kingdom. Each bus carries between 60 and 70 passengers at a time, which makes the income very high when compared with other means of ground transportation. Most of these buses are air-conditioned and with comfortable seats. Despite the continuing effort of the Ministry of Transport to provide the best of service, there are dangerous indications that should not be overlooked.
First of all let us find out about bus drivers. How do we know that they are good drivers who know how to deal with passengers? Some of the stories we hear from passengers say that most bus drivers take some prohibited pills which makes them behave strangely when they drive. As a result, they often fight with passengers. Does the transport department know about this? How could they know about it if employees at the bus station try to hide such problems by settling problems between the driver and passengers so the management would not come to know about it? How do we trust these drivers with the lives of innocent passengers?
After the bus exits the bus station and passes the police checkpoint, some drivers, knowing that no one is watching them, accelerate very fast passing the specified speed limit and reach the destination in half the stipulated time. Some drivers simply take full control of the bus and halt anywhere on the way to eat or even to take a nap, leaving the passengers stuck inside the bus. Examples of that are the bus trips between Makkah and Madinah. I’ve heard some strange stories from my friends who use buses on this route at regular intervals. They said that it took the driver 4 hours to travel between Makkah and Madinah. The legal speed limit for buses is 80-100 kmph and the distance between Makkah and Madinah is 400 kilometers. That means the bus driver was speeding. Why don’t the officials question the driver once he arrives at the destination and hold him responsible for driving too fast.
The other type of drivers are the ones who drive at 50kmph and cover the distance in 9 hours until most of the passengers are bored and sometimes the driver himself is so bored that he falls asleep. It is very rare to see a driver who takes care of his passengers and is concerned about their safety. Who is responsible for monitoring drivers? How are their trips monitored? What are the criteria used to select drivers? Are these drivers being searched for illegal materials that they might use? There should be special patrol cars to monitor buses with communication systems to contact buses and check on drivers and ask if they are awake or sleepy. I hope the transportation department will take this into consideration and accept our criticism.
