RIYADH — Saudi citizens, who do not own a vehicle, are allowed to work in the passenger transportation sector through the guided-vehicle applications. This concession is part of the new amendments made in the regulations governing the activities of public taxi, taxi routing service, and guided vehicles service. Minister of Transport and Logistics Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser, chairman of the board of directors of the Public Transport Authority (PTA), has issued an order to amend the regulations. According to the amendments, which came into force on Monday, the age requirement for Saudi drivers who are working in the guided-vehicles sector has also been canceled. All Saudis who have a valid driving license and medical fitness certificate can work now in the guided-vehicle sector. The new amendments are aimed at raising the quality of service, fast response, promoting investment in these activities, supporting entrepreneurs, increasing job opportunities for Saudis, reducing transportation costs, facilitating some procedures related to investors as well as to encourage investment. As per the new amendments, Saudis can in the guided-vehicles sector drive vehicles owned by others with an authorization to operate it. There is also an amendment in the regulations with adding a special definition to entrepreneurship facilities to clarify the category that can benefit from some of the exemptions mentioned in the regulations. It also involves adding the activity of taxi routing service within the activities in which the entrepreneurial investor can obtain an exemption from the financial guarantee condition. The taxi routing involves using privately owned car to carry paying passengers along a fixed route. The amendments also include non-binding of submitting a trademark registration certificate for the mobile application used to provide the service if the trademark name does not differ from the trade name. There are also amendments that contained in PTA's update of the regulations, in a manner that ensures the growth and sustainability of this activity to keep pace with the aspirations of the beneficiaries, and provide them with more options to move according to the best international models and standards developed in this field. It is noteworthy that the guided-vehicle sector is one of the advanced means of transportation in the Kingdom that's flourishing in the recent past. The service is featuring ease and speed of obtaining the service with its heavy reliance on new technologies. During the year 2021, more than 65 million trips were carried out in the guided-vehicles sector throughout the Kingdom. There are more than 800,000 Saudi men and women working in this lucrative sector, which achieved 100 percent Saudization. The Public Transport Authority earlier called on citizens to take advantage of a self-employment support program in the guided transport sector. The authority said the program aims to support Saudi full-time workers as well as new job seekers in the field of passenger transportation through the guided-vehicle applications. The Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) is providing support as one of its targeted initiatives aimed to raise the rate of Saudization. The PTA noted that it has approved 17 applications so as to qualify Saudi jobseekers in this sector. It enables young Saudi men and women to come forward to take up jobs in this promising sector by taking advantage of the monthly support of up to SR2,400 upon completion of 42 trips per month. The Saudi applicants can register with any of the applications approved by the PTA if they met with certain terms and conditions. The conditions include the applicant shall be a Saudi citizen who is not a government employee. Those who have a commercial registration are not qualified to apply for this job. The applicants need to register their names through the National Labor Gatetway (TAQAT), the self-employment portal under HADAF, by filling up a self-employment document.
