MANAMA: Authorities in Bahrain are to penalize Saudis who illegally use private cars as taxis on the island. The move follows repeated complaints from Bahraini taxi drivers about the practice.
“We are losing business because of Saudi drivers who enter the country in private cars and make money by using them as taxis. About 60 to 70 percent of our business is affected because of this,” said Mohammed Abdulla Isa, a member of the Taxi Drivers Union (TDU).
The TDU has informed the General Directorate of Traffic about Saudi drivers picking passengers up at the airport, something that only vehicles registered as taxis with the traffic authorities in their respective countries are allowed to do. Isa added that many Saudi registered vehicles — some taxis and others private — collect travelers and drop them off at the King Fahad Causeway.
“Some even promise Saudi nationals arriving at Bahrain International Airport to drop them off at their doorsteps. In most cases, drivers holding private licenses from Saudi Arabia collect passengers and charge high prices,” said Isa, who operates from the airport’s taxi stand.
Taxi drivers are also frustrated at the soft stance taken by Bahraini traffic authorities, which only take action when a customer complains of an illegal taxi or they come across such vehicles with passengers.Isa added that he and others have given several vehicle registration numbers of Saudis operating illegal taxis to the authorities and that action has rarely been taken.
“Bahrain is a small island and everyone owns a car. We are suffering huge losses in the taxi business; these illegal taxis are further adding to our miseries,” he said.
This is, however, not the end of the road for taxi drivers who are taking up the issue with top office bearers and plan to sign a petition calling for stiffer penalties. There are close to 1,000 taxi drivers in the kingdom and hundreds of common public conveyance drivers. On average, a pick-up driver earns about SR100 a day while taxi drivers take home between SR100 to SR150.
