Undoubtedly, taxis and taxi companies have made large profits in the past because of lack of organized services. Things used to be left unsettled in the hands of taxi owners. Some were organized and dedicated to their jobs while others, it seems, just took the money and ran. The worst of these abuses are history since things are now better organized. But people dealing with taxis, however, find that still more discipline and control is needed.
For example, when you tell a taxi driver your destination, he will probably answer by telling you a specific price for the journey. The meter is not used to calculate the charges and, normally, the passenger spends a few minutes negotiating the price. During the negotiations the taxi blocks traffic even though there is a meter and the regulations are clear. The taxi’s meter is apparently no more than interior decoration. If, as often happens, you get into a taxi without agreeing on a price, you may expect the driver to turn the meter on but he doesn’t. And when you arrive at your destination, the driver asks for an amount that pleases him or he simply tells you to pay what you want. If you do, he is sorry and wishes he had asked for more.
Another thing that many people in the Kingdom complain about is the high fare. In comparison with other GCC countries, we find that our taxi charges are far higher. For example, when you walk out the door of the airport in Riyadh, you immediately notice the taxi chaos — cars parked all over the road and drivers shouting at you to hire them. In most other cities, taxis are organized and have to follow certain rules and regulations. In those places, you get in and you are handed a paper with all the details and charges.
In Riyadh, you are surrounded by drivers who are anything but organized. A first-time visitor might nearly panic when two or three men seek his business. I have seen taxi drivers leaving a passenger in the car and going out to search for someone who will pay more.
I really wish we could get these things organized according to some easily understood system with its own rules and regulations. Surely it is not that difficult to do.
