Ali Jameel, who conducts his business close to the Grand Mosque, lives outside the city center. He said he leaves his car outside the central are and then continues his journey on a motorbike. He used to pay SR30 per trip during the early days of Ramadan. “But now the bikers demand between SR75 and SR90 per trip. I have no option but to pay,” he said.

Muatasem Riza, an Umrah pilgrim from Jeddah, said he had to pay SR55 to a motorcyclist to take him from Rusaifah car park to the Grand Mosque.

“I left my car at the parking lot because police would not allow me to take it into the central zone,” he said.

Yousuf Hasan, an Umrah pilgrim from Taif, said he traveled by car to the outskirts of Makkah and then continued his journey on a motorcycle. He said he was scared to travel on the speeding bike even though he arrived at the Haram safely. He said he paid SR40 to the motorcyclist.

However, riding on bikes in not free from risks.

“I live a little far from the mosque but always try to join congregational prayers in the Grand Mosque. I sought the help of a motorcyclist to take me to the mosque on a crowded day in Ramadan two years ago,” Makkah resident Maher Ali told Arab News.

“He agreed to take me for SR90. Something went wrong; the next thing I remembered was waking up on a hospital bed. My head injury was so critical that I had to remain in intensive care for six months.”

One motorcyclist told Arab News he expected to earn up to SR25,000 in the month, adding that there were others who earned even more than that. He said a major problem he and other motorcyclists faced was frequent police harassment, which could lead to arrests and imprisonment.