Taxi drivers in the Kingdom are having a tough time making a living during Ramadan, especially since the holy month coincides with the peak summer season.

Most of the taxi drivers venture out only after iftar in the evening, for five to six hours to pick up fares. They cannot step out during the day not only because they fast but also because of the summer sun beats down at a furious 45 degrees Celsius or more. Consequently, they don’t make enough money to meet their basic expenses.

Their sad plight has been exacerbated by the fact that car dealers have been offering easy installment plans to expatriate workers who used to take a taxi to work.

Muhammad Ikram, 54, a Pakistani taxi driver, said: “Due to the reduced working hours during Ramadan, I have not been able to even reach the daily ‘Boundary,’ the money which I pay to the limo owner as rent. Added to this, the limo owner does not help with issues such as iqama, exit/re-entry and visa issues, he said.

“Before Ramadan, I had to work 12 to 15 hours a day to earn the SR140 daily rent for the vehicle and a little something for me and my family. I neither get enough sleep nor do I eat properly,” he said.

Hassan Ahmad, a 45-years-old Indian taxi driver, said: “My employer demands SR170 “boundary” fee for a new model, which is too much and unfair. As a result, I am not able to cover all expenses related to maintenance, gasoline, repairs and traffic violation fines.”

“I work eight hours daily and face a lot of difficulties with different passengers. Some female passengers physically harass me and leave the cab without paying their fare,” he said.

Muhammad Tanveer, another Pakistani taxi driver in Riyadh, said: “I hardly make SR200 a day of which I pay SR150 to my employer. The remaining SR50 is not enough for my family’s survival.”

Stating that facing such difficult times during Ramadan is indeed challenging, he said: “I have no experience in any other field. I have been working as a taxi driver for the past 15 years in the Kingdom.”

Habib Hussain, a Bangladeshi driver, however, had a different story to tell. He said he earns nearly SR5,000 in a month after paying the rental fee to the company, because he works 15 to 16 hours every day except during Ramadan.

Earlier, the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) had called for a plan to develop the taxi industry because of the threat posed by the massive railway projects under way in major cities.

In Saudi Arabia, there are nearly 1,357 taxi companies and 43,000 cabs. Most drivers are Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. The Saudization percentage in the taxi sector is a mere 12 percent.