Jeddah, Oct 29 (Arab News): The field campaign directed by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has seized 1,064 taxis for irregularities.

Investors in the sector said around 20 percent of taxis in Jeddah violate Ministry of Transport regulations.

Abdullah Al-Karshami, member of the public taxi committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the campaign launched by the Makkah governorate to organize the sector would bear fruit if focus is directed on taxis whose legal validity, which is five years, has expired. Such taxis are found on the streets of Jeddah in large numbers. Focus should also be placed on companies whose licenses have expired and haven’t been renewed. Al-Karshami said there are 520 taxi companies in Jeddah. He said many companies and taxis work illegally, and there should be a preliminary regulation phase to ban companies and impound taxis which violate the licensing system.

A statement by the Makkah governorate said that the authorities began the campaign last week with the participation of traffic and security patrols under the direct supervision of Makkah police. It stated that campaigns in Makkah, Jeddah and Taif resulted in the seizure of 1,064 taxis.

According to the statement, the report filed by the province’s police confirmed the continued efforts to pursue violators and arrest them. A report will also be filed with the latest occurrences and statistics in a manner that guarantees the commitment of taxi companies and its drivers to the rules and regulations.

The governor has directed the police to impound violating taxi cabs until they comply with the regulations and file weekly reports about the results of the campaign.
The Makkah governorate has implemented a comprehensive project for car parking to cover vital areas in the central area around the Grand Mosque, Al-Misfala,
Al-Aziziyah neighborhoods and Ibrahim Al-Khalil Street to achieve a smart city concept.

Hisham Shali, director general for parks and environment building, said the municipality tendered a project to develop the administration and operation of car parks on streets which was awarded to a national company that specializes in operating and managing car parks in crowded urban areas.