Duties of the General Cars Syndicate and the Transport Companies

The General Cars Syndicate shall be responsible for upgrading the standard of services that are provided to the guests of the Most Merciful and the visitors of the Mosque of His Prophet, peace be upon him, in respect of securing comfortable buses for the transport of pilgrims. It shall follow up and monitor the services that are provided by the pilgrims transport companies, and of securing prompt assistance by way of fixed and mobile workshops all along the road, through the support centers between Makkah Al-Mukarramah - Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah - Jeddah - the Holy Sites, for dealing with bus failures and having a wireless communication network all along the roads used by pilgrims.

The duties have been specified as follows:

1. To secure the transport of pilgrims, against receipt of their transport fees.

2. To urge transport companies to provide buses and small vehicles, either by acquiring or hiring same in advance, pursuant to the instructions communicated to them.

3. The pilgrims transport companies shall provide an adequate number of drivers for the vehicles they prepare for the transport of pilgrims at an early and proper date and to train them in respect of the roads that lead to the Holy Sites and the Hajj facilities, through coordination with the traffic departments.

4. The pilgrims transport companies shall be accessories in the traffic violations committed by their drivers in respect of transporting pilgrims on top of the buses, excess passengers or traffic violations.

5. The pilgrims transport companies shall provide portfolios for passports, which shall be kept in the safes of the buses for the safe keeping of passports.

6. The pilgrims transport companies shall see to it that safety belts are available for each seat in their buses and vehicles, pursuant to traffic instructions.

7. To prepare transport tickets wherein shall be indicated the destination of pilgrims and the price of each coupon, and handing over of same to the Unified Agents Office for selling same, such Office being a representative of the General Cars Syndicate, pursuant to the agreement concluded by and between the Syndicate and the Unified Agents Office in that respect.

8. To prepare maps that show the direction of drivers between Makkah Al-Mukarramah - Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah - the Holy Sites.

9. The pilgrims transport companies may not require the bus drivers to work beyond their daily capacity, this being for securing the safety of pilgrims against accidents that are the result of drivers' exhaustion.

10. The pilgrims transport companies shall provide first aid kits and the safety requirements tools in each bus.

11. The pilgrims transport companies shall make sure of the safety and maintenance of the buses and vehicles and ascertain the existence of safety tools and all the necessary accessories therein before they start to operate, pursuant to the instructions that are issued in that respect by the Executive Committee of the Higher Commission for Monitoring of Pilgrims Transport.

12. The pilgrims transport companies shall provide the necessary covers and ropes and shall give strict instructions to the bus drivers to thoroughly supervise the binding and covering of luggage.

13. The pilgrims transport companies shall be liable for the value of bags whose loss or falling from the buses is proven, which value shall be no less than two hundred and a maximum of one thousand and five hundred Saudi Riyals.

14. It is strictly forbidden to carry luggage beyond the capacity that is specified on top of the buses.

15. The pilgrims transport companies shall obligate their drivers to stop at the Group Dispatching Control Centers, the Guidance Centers, and the Miqat Mosque at Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

16. The pilgrims transport companies shall instruct their drivers to require pilgrims to remove zamzam water containers and small bags from the passageways inside the buses and the emergency exits.

17. All companies that transport pilgrims arriving by air, sea or over land, shall comply with their full responsibilities that are stipulated under the regulations governing the transport of pilgrims.