JEDDAH: Drivers of cabs, ride-sharing services and even private cars need to consider safety and the readiness of their vehicles before hitting the roads, as the Public Transport Authority (PTA) has started imposing fines on drivers violating its operating regulations.
Speaking to Arab News, PTA inspector Bakr Hawsawi said that the fines being imposed on violating drivers are harsh enough to make motorists stick to the rules and regulations that are made for the safety of both drivers and riders alike.
“We fine cab drivers having no meter installed with SR5,000 ($1,333), while a fine of SR500 will be imposed on drivers for not wearing their uniform,” the inspector said. He said that the same amount should be paid by drivers whose cars look unclean from the outside, or are found dirty on the inside.
Hawsawi noted that the absence or unclear top sign “Taxi Jeddah,” or “Taxi Riyadh” etc., can cost the driver SR1,000. He added that a similar amount could be imposed on taxi drivers whose vehicles have no front-seat company license information, while SR800 could be imposed in case the backseat company information is not there.
The official pointed out that the PTA has decided to impose a fine of SR500 for not having a first-aid kit or a fire extinguisher, or a hazard triangle. “Driving without these three accessories can expose the driver to a SR1,500 penalty,” he said.
The PTA has said on its website that many companies directing private car drivers via Internet applications to pick up service seekers are not complying with the requirements made by the PTA, such as making sure that the subscribing drivers working with those companies are all Saudi nationals. It added that the PTA would impose as much as SR5,000 on foreign taxi drivers with no license. Moreover, the companies which deal with expat drivers will also be fined for violating the authority’s rules of transporting passengers. It also added that the financial punishment is not everything, as services of the violators will be frozen before he is asked to leave the country, as coordinated with the relevant authorities.
SR500 fine for Saudi taxi drivers without uniform
SR500 fine for Saudi taxi drivers without uniform
Saudi Border Guard arrest 4 attempting to smuggle qat
JAZAN: The Kingdom’s Border Guard in Al-Ardah, Jazan, recently arrested four Yemeni nationals attempting to smuggle 80 kg of qat into the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Mostly chewed by users, Qat is a mild stimulant and illegal across most of the Arab world.
The government has urged citizens and residents to report any information they have regarding drug smuggling or sales to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control. Reports can be made by calling 911 for Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and 999 for other regions. Alternatively, information can be emailed to [email protected]. All reports are treated confidentially.
Saudi Border Guard arrest 4 attempting to smuggle qat
JAZAN: The Kingdom’s Border Guard in Al-Ardah, Jazan, recently arrested four Yemeni nationals attempting to smuggle 80 kg of qat into the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
Mostly chewed by users, Qat is a mild stimulant and illegal across most of the Arab world.
The government has urged citizens and residents to report any information they have regarding drug smuggling or sales to the General Directorate of Narcotics Control. Reports can be made by calling 911 for Makkah, Riyadh and the Eastern Province, and 999 for other regions. Alternatively, information can be emailed to [email protected]. All reports are treated confidentially.
KSrelief distributes food in Pakistan, drills solar-powered wells in Nigeria
DUBAI: KSrelief, Saudi Arabia’s aid agency, recently distributed 370 food baskets in the flood-hit Shangla district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, benefiting 2,590 individuals.
The aid was a part of the fourth phase of the Kingdom’s Food Security Support Project in Pakistan 2024.
Last week, KSrelief, in collaboration with a civil society organization, initiated a project to drill six solar-powered medium-depth water wells in Kwara State, Nigeria. The wells, each at a depth of about 80 meters and equipped with tanks holding 5,000 liters, are for the benefit of 30,000 individuals.
The beneficiaries lauded Saudi Arabia for addressing their vital water needs.
Saudi anti-corruption authority reveals details of recent cases
- Spokesman said legal procedures had been initiated against all perpetrators
RIYADH: A spokesman for Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, also known as Nazaha, revealed on Sunday details of a number of criminal cases it recently investigated and prosecuted.
Outlining 20 of the most prominent corruption cases, he said legal procedures had been initiated against all perpetrators.
In one case, two Central Bank employees were arrested for receiving sums of money from a resident, who was also arrested, in exchange for depositing more than SR7.3 million ($1.95 million), without verifying the source, into bank accounts belonging to commercial entities over a two-year period.
In another case, a security officer working at the General Department of Traffic was arrested for receiving SR387,000 from the owner of a public services office, who was also arrested, in exchange for illegally amending the essential data of a group of vehicles.
One of the cases also highlighted involved an employee working at a university hospital who was arrested for receiving SR100,000 from citizens in exchange for a promise to employ them at the university.
Nazaha said it continues to work to identify and prosecute anyone in the Kingdom involved in the embezzlement of public funds, guilty of abuse of power and position for personal gain, or otherwise harming the public interest.
It stressed that guilty parties will be pursued and held accountable, and that there is no statute of limitations on such crimes.
Saudi, Bahraini public prosecutor meet in Manama
- Al-Mujeb highlighted the unwavering support the Kingdom's public prosecution receives from its leadership
RIYADH: Saudi Public Prosecutor Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mujeb met with his Bahraini counterpart Ali bin Fadl Al Buainain in Manama, Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
Al-Buainain welcomed Al-Mujeb and his accompanying delegation and expressed his delight at the visit, which he said signified the ongoing exchange of visits between the judicial bodies of the two nations and the sustained collaboration in combating transnational crime.
During the meeting, Al-Mujeb emphasized the deep-rooted historical ties between the Bahrain and the Kingdom and their continued advancement across various sectors, particularly in parliamentary cooperation and the exchange of information to ensure regional security.
He highlighted the unwavering support the Kingdom's public prosecution receives from its leadership, which he said enhanced the efficiency of its judicial processes.
