Authorities in Saudi Arabia have warned expatriates and transport firms operating via smartphone apps against violating Kingdom’s regulations.
The General Transportation Authority reportedly said it carries out regular inspection campaigns and does not permit violators to complete the journey.
The authority reiterated its warning that employment of expatriates by ride-hailing taxi services to carry passengers violates Saudi Arabia’s labor, residency and traffic regulations, reported Arab News.
Such violations would expose companies to fines and cancellation of licenses and services and the applications could be blocked, the authority said. Errant drivers will also be fined SR5,000.
The authority’s warning follows its previous announcements on the grace period given to such transportation companies to comply with the existing terms and conditions.
These conditions include linking their services to the Wasil platform, which is connected to the National Information Center, as well as limiting the jobs to Saudi nationals, who meet legal requirements.
The authority reportedly said it had reviewed and amended all regulations to help providers of such services to operate in Saudi Arabia within a legal framework. This was in response to a widespread demand for such smartphone app services by passengers.
The authority also said it was still detecting cases of non-compliance despite its efforts to enable local passengers to benefit from modern technology.
Business owners and families will be held accountable and subjected to fines and suspension of services if employees or drivers under their sponsorship are found to be violating local regulations, the authority was quoted as saying by Arab News.
The authority’s statement seeks the support of citizens, residents and visitors to ensure that the drivers of mobile app-based transport services are Saudi nationals.
It also reportedly stressed that regulations are in place to ensure that Saudi nationals employed in the public transport companies do not face unfair competition from expatriates and residents.
