Saleh Al-Turigee Okaz An outstanding scene that happened last week and widely circulating on social media was the overcrowding in front of the passport departments all over the Kingdom, especially Riyadh. There were many video clips circulating about the overcrowding last week, just before the Eid holiday began. It is true that the overcrowding at the Passport Department this year was unusual because of the status rectifying process for expatriates. But the overcrowding in front of the Passport Department last week was not something unusual. Saudis believe in leaving everything for the last minute. This is evident from the large number of Saudis who make last minute reservations for their travel. I have to confess that we are among the people most likely to be waiting at the airports hoping that someone would not show up so we could get their seats instead. The other thing is that our government departments consistently do not have proper plans or effective forecasting. That is why they always react after something unusual actually happens, just like the reaction of the director of the Passport Department who said that to avert the overcrowding problem, all branches will be open during Eid holidays. The other very important thing here is that the postal service should be activated for government services. In the past, it was justified that the postal services were not fully able to provide services for citizens because of their shoddy performance. In the UK, for example, people do not go to the passport office nor do they know its location. They simply mail the expired passport with new photos in an envelope and the new passport is delivered to their doorsteps in a matter of a few days. The Saudi post office has begun to provide adequate services. Students are now using the postal services to apply for universities. It is about time for the Passport Department to activate the postal service and solve the overcrowding problem for good.
