MAKKAH: Pilgrims have complained of high Umrah cart prices during Ramadan. They said that the price tariffs put by the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques are not being adhered to and prices have increased fourfold.
They said a cart can be hired for SR400 instead of the official rate of SR75. This is despite the presence of monitors there. They called on officials to stop this exploitation of the old and sick.
Officials say that anyone caught hiking the prices will have his cart confiscated.
“I went into the Haram on Wednesday and found it congested and couldn’t find a cart. When I went to hire one, they told me it would cost SR500 for sai’e and tawaaf, and I had to pay despite the fact it’s hard for me,” said Muhsin Alassiri.
Ahmad Al-Rabeghi, another pilgrim, said: “I wanted a cart for sai’e and I was told it would cost SR200. I told the man it should cost only SR50. He said, ‘go find one.’ I immediately went to a policeman standing by, but he said this was not his responsibility and that I should go to men appointed by the presidency. I couldn’t find them anywhere. One person told me they disappear at peak hours.”
Al-Rabeghi said he had to pay in the end because there were no officers around monitoring. “I call upon Sheikh Al-Sudais to intervene and apply strict restrictions and not allow this business to happen inside the Haram.”
He said pilgrims should be asked by officials how much they paid. Those overcharging should be penalized.
There is absolute chaos in the cart section in the Haram. There are free carts, carts you have to pay for and carts which are operated by illegal workers to benefit from. There are also African women sitting on carts and when you need one, they call their sons and start negotiating the price.
They said a cart can be hired for SR400 instead of the official rate of SR75. This is despite the presence of monitors there. They called on officials to stop this exploitation of the old and sick.
Officials say that anyone caught hiking the prices will have his cart confiscated.
“I went into the Haram on Wednesday and found it congested and couldn’t find a cart. When I went to hire one, they told me it would cost SR500 for sai’e and tawaaf, and I had to pay despite the fact it’s hard for me,” said Muhsin Alassiri.
Ahmad Al-Rabeghi, another pilgrim, said: “I wanted a cart for sai’e and I was told it would cost SR200. I told the man it should cost only SR50. He said, ‘go find one.’ I immediately went to a policeman standing by, but he said this was not his responsibility and that I should go to men appointed by the presidency. I couldn’t find them anywhere. One person told me they disappear at peak hours.”
Al-Rabeghi said he had to pay in the end because there were no officers around monitoring. “I call upon Sheikh Al-Sudais to intervene and apply strict restrictions and not allow this business to happen inside the Haram.”
He said pilgrims should be asked by officials how much they paid. Those overcharging should be penalized.
There is absolute chaos in the cart section in the Haram. There are free carts, carts you have to pay for and carts which are operated by illegal workers to benefit from. There are also African women sitting on carts and when you need one, they call their sons and start negotiating the price.
