The Public Transport Authority (PTA) is considering preventing all taxicabs from roaming the streets looking for customers and will make it obligatory on all the operating companies and establishments to subscribe to the car guidance offices, which are linked to Wasl (communication) platform through the smartphones. Spokesman of the Transport Ministry, Turki Al-Tuaimi, said the decision to ban the roaming of the limousine and taxicabs would necessitate providing them with parking lots inside the cities and towns. "The authority is currently discussing this issue with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and the directorate general of traffic," he said. The spokesman warned that the car operators would not be granted licenses to work unless they join the car guidance offices, adding that there are about 21 such offices in various parts of the Kingdom. He warned that the violators, who fail to supply their data to Wasl platform, would be penalized with fines reaching up to SR5,000. "Non Saudis using their own private vehicles to transport passengers will be considered violators and will be handed over to the concerned departments for action against them," he said. Tuaimi said there are 1,540 licensed companies and establishments to operate public transport while there are more than 79,000 licenses for individual limousine cars. He said the car guidance offices were established to promote the public transport consisting of taxicabs and private cars of the Saudi citizens wishing to use them in transporting passengers.
