DAMMAM: Women in Dammam who depend on taxi services to go about their daily tasks say that authorities should introduce regulations to tackle “insufferably smelly taxi drivers” and propose fines for “poor hygiene”. One widow who uses taxis almost every day said she has grown weary of getting into taxis only to be greeted by an “awful stench”. “Sometimes you're forced to open the window it's so bad, but they make you close it because of the air-conditioning,” she said. “Something needs to be done.” Umm Jamal, another frequent taxi user, said that air-fresheners should be installed in public service vehicles “like they do in Dubai”. “They last a month and are not harmful to persons with chest complaints,” she said. One lady said that malodorous taxi drivers are doing a disservice to the country as a whole. “The first journey many people make once they arrive at the airport is in a taxi, so taxis represent one image of the country, as does the driver himself. If he presents an unpleasant image then he conveys an unpleasant image of the country,” she said. For Fatima Al-Nuaimi, fines from the authorities could be an answer. “Any driver who neglects his personal hygiene or the cleanliness of his vehicle should be liable for a fine. I myself refuse to get into a taxi if I see that those standards are not upheld,” she said. “Once I had to ask a driver to stop because he smelled so bad that my son who sat next to him in the front seat couldn't take it any more!” One lady complained of drivers who smoke and the resulting odors that “pervade the seats”. “There should be fines for this sort of thing, and regular inspections of taxis to protect the health of the public who use taxis, especially children. It's difficult to warn children against smoking when they are used to the smell from taxis.” Another said that what most annoys her is “nosy drivers”. “The most important thing for me is that the driver is a foreigner, I won't get in a taxi driven by a Saudi as it's embarrassing,” she said. Psychologist Abla Abdul Aziz said that the majority of women who use taxis are widows, divorcees and persons of limited income who can't afford a car. Laws, she said, could be introduced to make life easier for them. “The authorities could bring in laws that force taxi drivers to make sure they wash properly every day and keep their vehicles clean at all times,” she said.
