RIYADH: The municipality has shut down 693 unlicensed car rental offices here in an operation carried out with the local traffic department and Transport Ministry.

The offices had also committed other violations including blocking traffic and sidewalks by parking cars haphazardly. The raids were carried out in Rawdah, Batha, Olaya, Al-Oraija, Al-Shifa, Naseem and Malaz.

According to Abdulaziz Al-Ojayan, assistant director at the municipality, the field teams conducted 1,051 inspections last week, with 219 vehicles removed by the traffic department.