With the start of the third stage of the return to normal life plan, thousands of taxi cabs will start services tomorrow, after a period of 5 months, when all cab services was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, reports Al Rai.
However, many owners of taxi companies and taxi drivers have expressed great dissatisfaction due to the obligation of health and government authorities limiting drivers to one passenger in the taxi. A driver refusing to obey the law is committing a violation. Many feel that the decision is not logical and meaningless, in addition to incurring huge losses, it is unjust for owners and taxi drivers as they have significant financial obligations placed upon them.
They affirmed their commitment to health requirements and procedures such as wearing masks and gloves, and keeping the taxi driver separate from passengers with a plastic barrier. However, they are surprised by the utter illogical decision, asking: How if a man accompanied by his wife or his family is picked up from the street, or someone is walking with his friends, or more than one individual are together? Should each one of them ride a taxi, while his other companions follow him in other cars.
The members of the Taxi Association revealed to Al-Rai on the eve of the restarting of their taxi services in the hope that the single passenger decision would be changed along with the concern of private cars who work illegally.
On the topic, the owner of the taxi company, Youssef Al-Waheeb, said, “Tomorrow we will move to the third stage, which includes the start of taxis, but unfortunately the decision of only limiting a ride to one passenger, despite knowing in other countries such a decision was not issued. He added that it would make sense if at least the decision was for two people, it could be logical, but for one passenger, it is illogical.
Al-Wahaib noted that taxis will adhere to the health and preventive measures of wearing masks, and other health requirements inside the car, but what is a cause for concern is that there are often two customers on the street such as a person and his brother or a person and their spouse, who have to wait until another taxi arrives.
He pointed out that there is an object that will be distributed to taxis, which works like a transparent barrier to protect the driver from splashes or any infection transmission, and it can also be used in the case of passengers. This is an idea we have and this shows the keenness of the owners of companies to protect everyone, he added.
Highlighting that since the taxi business was suspended from March 21 which has led to many difficulties, Al-Wahaib bemoaned to Al Rai that this was a long period that was full of difficulties and troubles, and this is further compounded by the one passenger decisions. He wondered what to do if there was a father who wanted to take his son to the hospital?, and so this decision is illogical and causes a big problem for the taxis.
For his part, one of the owners of the taxi company, Badr Al-Shreika said that the one passenger decision does not make sense, so how does a person ride in a taxi and his friend in another taxi? In addition to expect anyone to ride a taxi on their own and leave those with him on the street, he added.
Stressing that this is especially troublesome as they have to pay their loans and financial obligations to companies, he pointed out that most of the taxi owners will face major problems from the one-passenger decision, and it will cause ruin of the company owners and taxi drivers.
In turn, Falah Al-Ajami said that the owners of taxi companies face a big problem, first in the suspension of taxi services, and second, in the one passenger decisions which is hampering their work and of their companies, and gives an opportunity for other illegal workers to violate the law, because the empty space will allow them to operate in the absence of taxis that work officially.
Al-Ajami pointed out that there are many drivers of Asian nationals illegally working in taxi services, who will certainly not abide by the one passenger decision because their cars are private transport and anyone can hire them.
With regard to the issue of one passenger, Al-Ajmi stressed that this decision will force people to deal with private cars that are in violation of the Labor Law, and the reason being that no one will ask the private car driver about the presence of more than one person in his car. He called for the return of the old system and the opening of the technical examination according to the areas, and determining organized stops for taxis, just like countries around the world.
For his part, Abdulaziz Al-Mutairi said that the owners of taxi companies face great injustice with their demands being ignored by the government, despite their vital role in providing a service to the passengers in an organized manner, in accordance with the law along with their commitment to traffic and health requirements.
He highlighted that the owners of companies in the beginning of the coronavirus crisis provided assistance to the government by freeing their cars and drivers to serve the state in the face of the pandemic. Urging a review of the one-passenger decision, he emphasized that it was a great injustice that will generate great losses when the taxis have no business as is.
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