http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article53754.ece
To be or not to be with Saudi limousine drivers
By MUHAMMAD AHMAD AL-HOSSANI | OKAZ
Published: May 15, 2010 01:45 Updated: May 15, 2010 01:47
I feel very sympathetic for Saudi taxi drivers. They deserve to work in their homeland more than anybody else. I, however, sometimes feel differently, especially considering the way they behave with customers.
The way they treat their passengers is the thing that turns many people away from riding with them. It is under such circumstances that people opt to travel in taxis driven by expatriates. I am, nevertheless, sympathetic for Saudi taxi drivers who are in this line of business simply to earn a livelihood. I know some Saudis who have been driving taxis to support themselves and their families for several years. They have to pay monthly installments of up to SR1,500 to the taxi companies from which they lease their cars.
They struggle on a daily basis to earn enough money to meet their payments and also support their families. They have to compete on the Kingdom's busy roads with taxis driven by expatriates and private cars that double as unlicensed taxis, a practice that I hope the authorities will crack down on.
Nevertheless, the main issue is addressing the problem of passengers opting not to travel in taxis driven by Saudis. Regarding this, I would like to politely remind our Saudi brothers that they need to change this negative impression among passengers. They should consider the fact that all Saudi taxi drivers are being painted with the same brush on account of the negative behavior of a few.
There are also other types of complaints about Saudi drivers from women who travel without their male guardians. Male passengers also complain of Saudi taxi drivers behaving arrogantly, smoking and over-charging.
The question is whether these Saudi taxi drivers, although few in number, are ready to repair the damage and change the general impression that the wider public has of them? This would of course open up a new era for Saudi taxi drivers. Their lot would improve and unlicensed taxis would be minimized considerably
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