المملكة: “Transport”: Having no prior convictions is a condition for driving buses… and a surprise inspection pursues violators

Acknowledged General Authority for Transport Executive regulations for bus rental and brokerage activities, establishing a strict legislative system aimed at raising levels of safety and quality. The regulations imposed “iron” requirements on drivers, including having their papers free of criminal records and passing professional competency tests. It also prohibited the operation of buses that are more than a decade old, while granting broad powers to field supervision to ensure discipline in the sector.

The regulations obligated establishments Wishing to engage in the activity of renting BusesBy providing a minimum fleet of no less than ten buses, whether owned directly by the facility or through financial leasing contracts, to ensure operational solvency and sustainability in providing the service.

Strict rules

The Authority has set a strict limit for the operational age of buses operating in the activity, as it is prohibited to operate any bus that is more than ten years old from the year of manufacture, in order to ensure the efficiency of vehicles operating on the roads and the safety of passengers and road users.

The new regulation requires that the facility obtain a main license to practice the activity issued for a period of three years, with the necessity of having a main center in the city where the license is located that meets all municipal and technical requirements approved by the relevant authorities.

The rules stressed the necessity of issuing an “operation card” for each Bus, which is valid for one year, and is granted only after ensuring the validity of the periodic technical inspection and the insurance document, in addition to the validity of the facility’s license.

The authority imposed a comprehensive “screening” for drivers, as they are required to have no criminal record, pass a professional competency test, and obtain a valid driver’s license that qualifies them to drive buses, to ensure the eligibility of those sitting behind the wheel.

Drivers must commit to conducting a quick daily examination. To ensure the safety of brakes, tires and lights before driving, and to adhere to the approved driving and rest hours, while completely prohibiting smoking inside the bus cabin or allowing passengers to do so.

The regulations stipulate the necessity of linking to the authority’s electronic platform, to enable regulatory authorities to have immediate and automatic access to facility, bus and driver data, and to accurately track rental operations to ensure compliance with regulations.

The legislation obliges rental companies to conclude unified contracts that contain accurate data that includes the time of concluding the contract, and data The driver and passengers, the rental cost, and the mechanism for calculating the delay, while prohibiting any amendments to the contract after its signing except with the approval of the parties.

Rights of Tenants

The regulations precisely defined the role of brokerage offices in leasing, prohibiting them from practicing or operating the transportation activity with buses belonging to them, so that their role was limited to the electronic and contractual connection between the lessor and the lessee only.

The regulatory texts guaranteed the rights of tenants by requiring companies to provide an alternative bus of the same class or higher in the In the event of a technical malfunction that is not due to the renter’s negligence, without charging him any additional costs, to ensure the continuation of the trip without disruption.

Renting establishments bear full responsibility for providing comprehensive insurance coverage for buses, covering as a minimum civil liability towards third parties, with its continued validity throughout the duration of operation and the contract.

The Authority prohibited offices and companies from pawning or photocopying the official documents of renters, contenting itself with recording data electronically based on those documents, in order to protect customers’ privacy and prevent any irregular practices.
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The regulation gave the Authority the right to subject any bus to a sudden technical inspection at any time, whether on the roads or in centers, and to use mobile inspection units with the support of security agencies to ensure the safety of the transportation process.

The regulation included an exceptional clause obligating service providers to place their buses at the disposal of the Authority and government agencies in cases of emergencies and natural disasters, to contribute to evacuation operations when needed.

Violators face strict measures that amount to automatic cancellation of the license in specific cases such as Cancellation of the business activity, bankruptcy, or inability to address the shortage in the minimum number of buses within the statutory period.

The Authority allowed investors to submit their grievances regarding decisions and violations within thirty days from the date of notification, where specialized committees look into these grievances to ensure justice and transparency in the application of penalties.

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