Govt explains ban on new taxi licenses

JEDDAH: The Ministry of Transport has found that the number of taxis operating in Riyadh and Jeddah are far in excess of their required number, and that this has contributed to the increasing density of traffic on the roads.
Following this discovery, the ministry decided to stop granting new licenses and also adding new vehicles to the fleets of the already licensed taxi firms.
Where did all these taxis come from? The ministry actually does not remember when and from where the increased number of taxis appeared.
In fact, this discovery by the ministry on the increased numbers of taxis has nothing to do with the increasing traffic density on the roads. It came after the entry of a new taxi service equipped with the system to direct the vehicles, and although this newcomer has already been running on the roads for some time now, the ministry said they have not yet acquired the necessary permits.
The ministry also announced that citizens are allowed to operate their private cars as taxis via smartphone applications without referring to whether their work will be legal or not, or the terms and conditions to practice the activity, and the responsibility of the ministry in this regard.
The ministry said the regulation will limit the random roaming of taxis on the roads as it will lead to the restructuring of the sector.