MAKKAH: Pilgrims and visitors to the Grand Mosque in Makkah are feeling frustrated due to exorbitant taxi prices that the drivers are inflating by 100 percent against the fixed rates.
This is despite the fact that the traffic and transportation officials have earlier vowed imposition of serious penalties against the violators.
Pilgrims say that they prefer long foot walks to to these taxis due to their illegal and uncalled for charges.
While grumbling about high taxi prices, a Pakistani resident, Badr Al-Din Mohammed, expressed surprise about the drivers’ menacing attitude despite prominently displayed banners mentioning the fixed official tariff, in Arabic and English. He resorts to walking in the face of rising prices, especially in the evening, he said.
Expressing similar feelings, Mohammad Rajan and Abdullah Jaktar from Turkey said they are downhearted because of the taxi drivers attitudes in not sticking to the official tariff.
In Turkey, they said, taxis are licensed and they use a meter, but clearly this is not the case with drivers demanding whatever price they want.
Nayef Alharabshi, Mohammad Fayed and Nasser Al Harbi from Riyadh parked their cars in the external car parks of the city but found the taxi prices exorbitant, inflated by up to 100 percent and against all rules.
Khaled Al-Otaibi, director of the Department of Transport in Makkah, said inspections are being launched with unannounced rounds on taxis by field teams, in collaboration with the Holy City Traffic Department. This is to monitor irregularities, and the department vows to slap violations on taxi drivers or the company they belong to.
Col. Bassem Al-Badri, director of Makkah Administration, explained three taxi ranks have been allocated around the Makkah Central Area before the Dar Al-Tawheed Hotel, Aljihla Street and the New Gaza Road.
He said visitors must use public transport taxis and not to use those of the violators.
He said violators of official taxi prices will be severely punished, according to Almadina.
This is despite the fact that the traffic and transportation officials have earlier vowed imposition of serious penalties against the violators.
Pilgrims say that they prefer long foot walks to to these taxis due to their illegal and uncalled for charges.
While grumbling about high taxi prices, a Pakistani resident, Badr Al-Din Mohammed, expressed surprise about the drivers’ menacing attitude despite prominently displayed banners mentioning the fixed official tariff, in Arabic and English. He resorts to walking in the face of rising prices, especially in the evening, he said.
Expressing similar feelings, Mohammad Rajan and Abdullah Jaktar from Turkey said they are downhearted because of the taxi drivers attitudes in not sticking to the official tariff.
In Turkey, they said, taxis are licensed and they use a meter, but clearly this is not the case with drivers demanding whatever price they want.
Nayef Alharabshi, Mohammad Fayed and Nasser Al Harbi from Riyadh parked their cars in the external car parks of the city but found the taxi prices exorbitant, inflated by up to 100 percent and against all rules.
Khaled Al-Otaibi, director of the Department of Transport in Makkah, said inspections are being launched with unannounced rounds on taxis by field teams, in collaboration with the Holy City Traffic Department. This is to monitor irregularities, and the department vows to slap violations on taxi drivers or the company they belong to.
Col. Bassem Al-Badri, director of Makkah Administration, explained three taxi ranks have been allocated around the Makkah Central Area before the Dar Al-Tawheed Hotel, Aljihla Street and the New Gaza Road.
He said visitors must use public transport taxis and not to use those of the violators.
He said violators of official taxi prices will be severely punished, according to Almadina.
