The Bus Guides for Pilgrims Office works in coordination with tawafa establishments.
Guides are posted on buses carrying Haj pilgrims because most drivers, who are often temporarily recruited from foreign countries for seasonal work, are not familiar with the roads in Makkah and Madinah as well as the seaports and airports.
“The plan, prepared after studying past experiences, aims to supply a sufficient number of guides on pilgrim buses and at depots to avoid delays and to take Hajis safely to their destinations, especially during the peak days of the pilgrimage,” said Faiq Muhammad Byari, chairman of the Co-ordination Council of Tawafa Establishments.
“The bus guides and reserve guides should be sent in large numbers to every pilgrim bus depot. Each guide will work on two trips.”
He also stressed the need for giving attractive incentives to guides so that they are available at bus depots whenever their services are required.
“There should also be no obstacle to recruiting new guides to replace those that quit so that services are not disrupted,” he added.
The schedule for guides is prepared in such a way so that there is always an overlapping of shifts, ensuring two workers are available at any one time.
The advantage of this system is that there is always cover during peak days if there is any shortage of guides during any one shift, Byari said.
On Nov. 2 alone, the office in Madinah served 3,761 buses, including 1,870 pilgrim buses from Makkah, 269 buses from King Abdulaziz International Airport and 277 from Prince Muhammad Airport, he added.
Byari commended the office’s secretary-general Faisal bin Abdul Rahman Al-Asra for overseeing a smooth operation.
The coordination council also groups pilgrims in Madinah before sending them to Makkah, he added.
