The queues of minibuses on both sides of the Stone Gate of Bab Makkah (Makah door) in the center of the city assured us we were at the right place — the start of the Al-Balad route. Voices called out various destinations, from residential areas to streets.
The crowds of passengers were mostly from humble backgrounds. Affluent passengers would not need public transport. They would be comfortably sitting in their own luxurious sedans.
It was not yet eight in the morning when we stood on a pavement close to one of the callers. He was announcing the imminent departure of a minibus to kilo 14 in Al-Bawadi district via Madinah road. The caller stood on a high stone barrier to make sure his voice would reach as many passengers as possible.
Our very presence raised the eyebrows of passersby and drivers, let alone the passengers waiting to board the minibuses. We approached someone, who also did not look like he belonged, why he was waiting. When he realized we were journalists, he answered us quickly, making as little eye contact as possible. “I am an Egyptian accountant. I live in Al-Roudah district. I leave my home at 7:30 a.m. for Al-Balad where I take the minibus along Arbaeen Street where my office is located. I pay the ticket price of two Riyals which is very cheap,” he said.
Before the pavement was full, our photographer joined us. His cameras attracted many people toward us, particularly the drivers, who wanted to talk to us believing we were from a major television company! Distracted African and Indian faces looked sheepishly at us from the windows of the buses unconcerned with what was happening outside. They looked sad and morbid, as they faced their daily battle to earn a living. The drivers were now more forthcoming, talking about their battles with the traffic police and the Ministry of Transport.
Hassan Muhammad Al-Atta came back to the Al-Balad route after 15 years, during which he worked for a private company. He had an old vehicle with torn seats. He was waiting for the caller, who charges three riyals per trip, to fill all the 25 seats of the bus although he would be content with 10 passengers. He makes two trips a day.
Before we finished talking to Al-Atta, we were startled by the loud voice of Abdullah bin Hassan who was suddenly surrounded by many drivers and callers, an indication of his position among them. It turned out his difficult economic and social problems had given him this elevated status. “We are not registered as drivers at the official circles. We are not covered by social insurance. We cannot buy new cars because nobody is willing to sponsor us,” he said.
Al-Atta wants the authorities to give drivers in Jeddah the same rights as those in Riyadh and allow them to stop anywhere for passengers. “We are not allowed to stop at Bab Makkah or we will be issued with a traffic violation ticket,” he said.
