Punishment fear: No takers for illegal Hajis

MINA: For pilgrims, Haj is a once in a lifetime journey. They are focussed completely on the pilgrimage with its many daunting and moving rituals. On the other hand, for some enterprising young Saudis, Haj is a chance to serve the pilgrims, earn their blessings and also to make some extra money.
For these young Saudis, Haj is a time to get behind the wheel and make extra money by ferrying pilgrims to and from the holy sites. Many of them use their own private cars while others choose rented cars. Whatever they decide, things have not been easy this year because of the tough rules that have been put in place.
“In the past, the authorities weren’t as strict as they are these days,” said Mohammed Al-Amri, a 41-year-old Saudi from Jeddah. “Ferrying pilgrims from Jeddah used to be hassle-free. It is still profitable, but no longer hassle-free.”
Al-Amri was obviously referring to the authorities who clamped down on undocumented pilgrims. “Drivers who are caught with undocumented pilgrims face six months in jail and thousands of riyals in fines,” he said. “Nobody wants to take chances because of the penalties. Whatever you earn can vanish in an instant if you are found with undocumented pilgrims in your car.”
Jeddah’s SAPTCO bus stop near Al-Balad or Bab Makkah are the main areas for the part-time drivers. If a pilgrim in the past did not have a permit, the drivers would charge through the nose. Now, the drivers first make sure the passengers have permits before negotiating the fare. “If somebody does not have a permit, we refuse him outright,” said Marwan Mohammed, a young Saudi from Abha. His fear is justified. “Not only are the authorities checking on us but they are actually putting drivers behind bars,” he said. “Just three days ago, a close friend was arrested for trying to take undocumented pilgrims into Makkah. He was having financial difficulties and he thought he would help himself by taking the pilgrims to Makkah. Now, he is in deep trouble. From the frying pan into the fire.”
Al-Amri said Haj provided the drivers with a good income. “On an average I earn SR3,000 a day. Those who have GMCs can earn SR7,000 a day,” he said. “The season lasts for 25 days and we want to make the most of it.”
Before Haj, the business is taking pilgrims from Jeddah to Makkah or from Madinah to Makkah. During Haj, the focus shifts to the holy sites where pilgrims are ready to pay as much as SR500 for a short 8-km trip from Mina to Makkah or Makkah to Mina.
Of course such exorbitant fares lead to pilgrims forming a bad impression of Saudi drivers. “I know what you mean. They say that we try to take advantage of the situation and fleece them,” said a visibly agitated Al-Amri. “That is not correct. Those who say that are mistaken. We don’t force anyone to ride with us. It is up to them to accept or not accept the fare. We are here to provide a service. And don’t forget we too sacrifice our Eid Al-Adha and time with our families for this business.”