JEDDAH, 10 May 2007 — In a move to preserve the beauty and environment of Jeddah, and protect the safety of the general public, city authorities have banned the unlicensed renting of horses, camels and motorbikes by the Corniche.
The municipality, with the help of the police department, are organizing a series of raids to confiscate unlicensed motorbikes and horses that are frequently available to rent in the old Hamra area in front of the King Fahd Fountain and at the Nawrus Roundabout, said Mahmoud Kinsarah, head of the commercial monitoring and licensing department at Jeddah Municipality.
Kinsarah said that the municipality has already issued a series of warnings to people who rent out horses and motorbikes, all of which have been ignored.
“Now, we are serious about the ban, as we have issued strict fines to those who violate the regulations,” he said, adding that many accidents have occurred, especially since motorbikes and horses are hired out to young people who are left unmonitored.
The municipality official added that owners of motorbikes and horses could still continue operating after acquiring special licenses.
One of the main rules stipulates that they are not allowed to rent their animals or bikes by the seaside, but rather in large pieces of empty land located at various places close to the Corniche area.
Motorbike owners should acquire a special license from the Police Department, while horse and camel owners should provide periodic veterinary health certificates to ensure their animals are healthy and safe.
He noted that the municipality is also preparing a number of empty city-owned pieces of land for animal and bike rides.
He further urged the public not to rent motorbikes and animal rides in the Corniche area in order to discourage owners from continuing to operate, something which has caused lots of injuries to both children and adults.
Ahmad Rashid, a Saudi high school student, recalls breaking his collarbone in an accident when he was 13 years old. He said that he had fallen off a motorbike he had rented by the Corniche.
“Even though I didn’t know how to control the bike, the owner didn’t seem to be bothered. He just gave me some instructions and let me be,” Rashid said.
“I drove for a while and then the bike fell on its side. I was bleeding when my dad rushed me to hospital,” he said, adding that the owner of the bike did not show any remorse and continued to rent his bike out.
