RIYADH: Changes to funding rules surrounding a transportation program for Saudi women working in the private sector have been announced by officials.

The Hadaf human resources development fund has updated its regulations for the Wusool female transportation program as part of an efficiency drive aimed at reducing the burden of travel costs for female workers.

In a bid to improve safety and quality, the service will partner with taxis monitoring companies through smart platform apps to benefit the largest number of applicants for the program and help streamline registration procedures.

The new rules involve changes to the conditions for joining the program and the requirement to register with the Saudi General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) where the total GOSI subscription period was less than 36 months and the monthly salary SR8,000 ($2,133) or less.

Updates also included the amount of monthly financial support provided by the fund fixed at 80 percent of the cost and a maximum SR800 per month, the cancellation of the previously scheduled monthly financial subscription of SR200, and the extension of the support period up to 12 months.