How Many Times Has Fahad Al-Yousef Been Wronged?

It is not important to know the exact number of times, as it is frequent and very natural for an official who is losing some of his popularity, especially at the moment he chooses to implement reforms in the institutions he oversees, and on the day he decides to apply the law to everyone without leniency, tighten penalties for violators, and close loopholes by issuing swift and appropriate legislation. But truth often surfaces, albeit sometimes belatedly. * * * For material reasons and others related to the harshness of the country’s climate, the majority of expatriates who do not own private cars are reluctant to use public transport, as its network does not adequately cover the state. Consequently, some citizens exploited these circumstances and this need, purchasing hundreds of buses to provide transportation services for tens of thousands of students attending private schools, which lack their own transport fleets, as well as for a comparable number of workers and employees, transporting them from the “doorsteps” of their homes to the “doorsteps” of hundreds of workplaces. The Ministry of Interior suddenly realized the danger of what was happening. It became clear that the majority of those providing round-the-clock transportation services across three shifts were operating either illegally or with invalid licenses, and often without insurance coverage, turning the situation into an inevitable road disaster whose victims would be dozens of innocent children. It was therefore imperative to halt this lawlessness immediately. There was no room to give bus company owners or users of the service time to sort out their affairs. How could one allow anyone to continue committing serious violations until an alternative is arranged? Extension would mean the continuation of a serious violation, which is itself a crime. The widespread dissatisfaction with the Ministry of Interior’s decision was not surprising. Outcry, complaints, and grievances spread due to the disruption the decision caused in the lives of hundreds of thousands of citizens and residents, as well as parents, school owners, companies, and factories. Meanwhile, hundreds of bus drivers suddenly lost their livelihood, and it remains unclear how the situation will end, as it is a human, commercial, and educational issue. There is no doubt that the decision by the Deputy Minister of Interior to immediately halt this dangerous situation and abolish irregular transportation services was entirely correct. No reasonable person would have accepted its continuation, even for a single day. Therefore, it is now essential to hasten the closure of loopholes and rectify the situation through legislation to protect the rights of all parties. This will likely come at the expense of users of this service, the vast majority of whom are low-level employees and workers, along with a very large number of students in private schools. Currently, residents pay between 15 and 25 dinars monthly to the bus driver or company that transports them to work and back home at the end of the day. This amounts to approximately 10% to 20% of these individuals’ monthly salary or income. The return of the previous transport system, after the situation is rectified, would automatically increase their costs. It should be noted that many of these individuals have not yet recovered from the blow of losing their homes in areas like Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh and other districts, forcing them to relocate to more expensive areas, where rent and transportation now consume more than 40% of their salaries or wages. We urge the government to expedite the construction of worker cities and provide safe, affordable transportation for the working class, and to encourage public transport companies to offer comfortable means of transport with a wide network, to replace the now-banned irregular transport. Ahmed Al-Sarraff