Security Restrictions and Drugs.. “Transport Authority” Warns via “Al-Taj” Against Dealing with Unlicensed Apps

Al-Taj News –

Lina Al-Nasser

Mohammad Al-Abdallat, the official responsible for the smart applications file at the Land Transport Regulatory Commission, said that the authority’s objective in conducting regulatory campaigns targeting smart transportation applications is to regulate the market and raise the level of compliance, rather than issuing violations or collecting financial amounts from companies.

Al-Abdallat explained in a statement to “Al-Taj News” on Sunday that the authority will rely on requesting actual rides through the applications to monitor violations, stressing that these measures will contribute to gradually regulating the market, in addition to enhancing “citizens’ awareness” of the need to use licensed applications.

He added that taking action and recording violations would serve as a deterrent, alongside the authority’s focus on citizens’ awareness, calling for people not to use any unlicensed application due to the risks that may result from doing so.

He pointed out that there are a number of unlicensed applications, explaining that identifying them is difficult due to their names being changed and their being blocked, at a time when this activity has become electronic and relies on artificial intelligence.

He noted that demand for unlicensed applications is not greater than demand for licensed applications, stressing that the authority’s approach is to regulate the market so that no unlicensed application remains.

Regarding the reasons citizens use unlicensed applications, Al-Abdallat said he does not believe that competition is primarily based on price, noting that the risks of dealing with these applications are “much higher.”

He explained that the authority had identified cases in which citizens used unlicensed applications, only to later discover that the driver had judicial restrictions or restrictions related to drugs, or that he had narcotic substances in the vehicle.

Documenting Violations in Coordination with Relevant Authorities

Regarding the documentation of violations detected by regulatory teams, Al-Abdallat confirmed that the authority will undertake the direct documentation of the ride request, calculation of the violation, and all related procedures, in coordination with the Traffic Department, External Patrols, Public Security Directorate, and Cybercrime Unit.

Liquidation of the Guarantee Linked to Pricing and Licensing

Regarding the mechanism for liquidating part of the companies’ guarantee, Al-Abdallat explained that the guarantee is linked to two aspects: one related to pricing, and the other to violations involving unlicensed employees and captains.

He said that the authority will verify ride prices by actually requesting the ride and determining the starting point, destination, and distance, and by using the taxi meter rate plus 20% as a basis for comparison with the application’s price.

He stressed that the problem does not arise when the ride price through the application is higher than the approved comparison price, but rather when it is lower.

He explained that the authority operates according to what he described as “standardized fairness” among different modes of transportation, noting that applications are considered a luxury service, and that an application “captain” pays annual fees of 400 dinars, in addition to permit and insurance fees, while the company’s commission ranges between 15% and 29% of the ride value.

He said that the authority seeks to protect the “taxi” mode, while also taking public transportation and applications into consideration, in a way that achieves fairness among the different modes of transportation.

A Number for Every Ride.. Electronic Integration with Companies

Al-Abdallat revealed that the authority is moving toward implementing electronic integration with all application companies, allowing rides to be monitored.

He explained that the authority cannot monitor all rides directly due to the large number of rides, but every ride will have a “Trip ID,” allowing its details to be verified when a complaint is submitted.

He noted that the ride data will make it possible to determine the ride price, distance traveled, commission, and other details, pointing out that this mechanism will form part of the monitoring process.

Campaign to Begin in All Governorates

Regarding the regulatory campaign scheduled to launch on October 7,