“The government must step in to protect us from foreigners who use their own private cars as taxis,” said Saudi taxi driver Saad Al-Miqati.
More than 350 Saudi taxi drivers gathered recently in front of the traffic police’s main building in the Um Al-Joud district to protest against their predicament.
They are also accusing the traffic police of double standards as they allegedly allow private cars to enter the central area of the Grand Mosque, but not taxis.
“Have mercy on us and save us from these double standards. Leave us alone to obtain our living and root out those Umrah companies that use their private cars as taxis,” said Abdullah Al-Yasi, who has been driving a taxi in Makkah for 15 years. He bought his taxi car on installments.
“We have installments to pay and mouths to feed. So please stop private car owners and the Umrah companies from competing with us,” he said. He added he had complained to Makkah’s traffic police director but to no avail.
Hamaid Al-Lihaibi, another taxi driver, said Umrah companies give their private cars to foreigners to use as taxis. “These cars transport passengers between cities without being stopped by the traffic police,” he said.
Traffic police spokesman Maj. Fawzi Al-Ansari denied claims that taxi drivers were prevented from entering the central area around the Grand Mosque. “We are only obliged to do this at peak hours when there is severe congestion,” he explained. He said any driver caught using a private car as a taxi would be punished.
“Foreigners caught transporting people for money may face deportation and confiscation of their vehicles,” he warned.
