Fahd Al-Manaee Saudi Gazette MAKKAH — A row over impounded Coaster buses has resurfaced, with drivers asking the Traffic Department to release the vehicles so they can continue to earn a living. However, the department has refused, saying it is within its rights to impound any bus that violates its regulations. The impoundment yard located on Taif Road descending from Jabal Al-Kur is full of seized buses. Several drivers said the impounding of their vehicles is unjustified. They said the Traffic Department's reason that the buses were too old to be considered fit to drive was incorrect. They claimed their buses have passed mandatory periodic checks that test the roadworthiness of vehicles. Traffic Department spokesman Lt. Col. Fawzi Al-Ansari confirmed buses have been impounded for various violations, including drivers not holding a heavy vehicle driving license, the expiration of vehicle registrations, and drivers not possessing any paperwork from the Ministry of Transport. Al-Ansari said: “The bus drivers' claims that the Traffic Department is impounding their buses because their vehicles are old is a misconception, because they are actually being confiscated due to other violations. “As a result, the buses cannot qualify for the necessary official paperwork from the Ministry of Transport and must be impounded. “The Traffic Department cannot allow such buses to be driven on the roads of Makkah.” Several bus drivers in Makkah have written to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah asking for help and an order to be issued to allow them to work, especially as many of them do not have any other skills apart from driving buses. They said it is the Umrah season and the peak period for their work. They claimed they were working according to an official decision issued in 1998 allowing them to drive if they abide by a number of rules and regulations. They expressed hope that this order would be renewed so that the Traffic Department would release their buses and they could continue working.
