MAKKAH: The number of illegal mechanic workshops is on the rise in Makkah. Residents have expressed fears that they pose a danger to society.
A number of illegal African overstayers have established workshops in deserted courtyards and underdeveloped streets in Al-Mansour district to repair illegal cars without asking for official repair documents from the traffic police.
To open a legitimate workshop, mechanics have to obtain approval from the municipality and police. They will not work on any car without a repair document. They will also not change the color of the car or fix its dents without formal approval as the vehicle might be wanted in connection with criminal activities.
Most of the illegal workshops are concentrated in Al-Tundubawi district, Harat Al-Yemen and behind the girls’ college in Al-Mansour Street. A number of illegal mechanics and electricians have set up in sparsely populated back streets. They weld and paint the cars using tools and equipment powered by batteries of cars, as they have no electrical supply.
The illegal workshops usually open from 1 p.m. until after midnight, as security is not usually tight at those times.
Pakistani expatriate Ismael Ghulam, who lives in Al-Tundubawi, believed people who work in such workshops could help increase criminal activity. He said he saw a number of vehicles entering these workshops in one color and coming out in another. “Spray-painting without official permission from traffic police would mean that these cars were stolen or involved in a crime,” he said.
Saudi national Turki Hassanain said he takes his car for repair to one of these workshops because they are cheap. He however recalled a day when he saw a man bringing stolen materials including second-hand spare parts, tape recorders, number plates and tires to one of the workers.
Dawi Saed, another citizen, called for an end to illegal workshops. He recalled an incident when police raided a workshop to find spray-painters changing the color of a car that was wanted for a crime committed by its owner.
He said during the raid a number of wanted cars linked to criminal activities were discovered.
Spokesman for Makkah police Maj. Abdul Mohsen Al-Maiman said the traffic police and the municipality were mainly responsible for targeting these workshops. He however said the police would immediately act whenever it received information about criminal activity in these workshops.
He added that they usually coordinate with traffic police.
