JEDDAH, 17 December 2006 — Haj season is peak season for cab drivers. Livery services are in such high demand in the region that is home to the two holy cities that fares easily double or triple around Haj time.
Al-Watan newspaper reported yesterday a new phenomenon of people, usually expatriates, renting cars to use during Haj as gypsy cabs, which is illegal in the Kingdom.
Naser, an employee at a car rental office in Jeddah, said that he is only obligated to ensure that a foreigner renting a car has a valid license and work/residency visa.
“Sometimes the customer is late returning the car,” he said. “In this case, we consult his sponsor only to find out that the he is also searching for the guy.”
Naser says they report these cases to the police, but that the car rental company often ends up paying if a customer uses their rental cart as a gypsy cab.
“We end up having to pay SR5,000 to get the car out of impound for this type of violation,” said Naser.
After being burned a few times with this situation, Naser says his company has developed a defense strategy.
“If customers ask for a car to use for more than a month, then we demand a letter from the sponsor because this is the only way to protect us,” he said.
Abdul Khaliq Al-Awadi, another employee at a car rental company, said that in some cases rental cars are used to transfer illegal migrants while in other cases to transport liquor and drugs. He said part of the problem with rental cars used as taxis is that Saudis use them.
“These people lack awareness,” he said. “They are selfish because they only care about themselves, saving a little money. They encourage this practice by hiring these people.”
A Jeddah police spokesman said any expatriate who rents a car to drive others could face stiff penalties if caught. “He will be arrested,” he said. “He will spend time in jail and pay a fine before being deported.”
