Action sought against violators of Haj traffic plan

MAKKAH: The National Committee for Haj and Umrah and the Traffic Department in Makkah have urged the Ministry of Haj to take stringent punitive measures against Haj tour operators and transport companies that violate the traffic plan put in place for them. Field inspections teams had detected violations of traffic rules and regulations by a number of these companies during the past Haj seasons.They said traffic violations would be calculated using a points-based system while evaluations of the performance of each Haj service company and establishment would be carried out by the ministry at the end of every pilgrimage season.Senior officials of the committee and the traffic department called for these measures at a function held on Wednesday to honor the special working team tasked to organize buses carrying domestic pilgrims to the parking areas of Arafat through designated tunnels during the last Haj.Speaking on the occasion, Ziyad Farsi, member of the board of directors of Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and spokesman of the committee, said the first experiment carried out by the committee in coordination with the traffic department to facilitate the smooth movement of buses carrying domestic pilgrims through the designated routes was a great success.“There were some small hitches that are usual for any project when it is being implemented for the first time. The chamber and the traffic committee are determined to eliminate these over the coming years and thus achieve higher performance results,” he said.Farsi reiterated the determination of the committee to further improve the services being extended to the guests of Allah in coordination with the Ministry of Haj and concerned agencies including the traffic department.Saad Al-Qurashi, chairman of the committee, said the experiment was conducted through Road No. 4 in Arafat and the road leading to the Haram through the tunnels. “The experiment that aimed to ensure the smooth movement of domestic Haj pilgrims will be implemented during the forthcoming Umrah season also,” he said.Abdul Qadir Jabarty, deputy chairman of the committee, stressed the need for the ministry to take penal action against those Haj transport companies that are found violating traffic regulations and obstructing the smooth flow of traffic during the pilgrimage.“Taking punitive measures by handing out points for violations would serve as a deterrent for Haj transport companies to strictly adhere to the traffic plan assigned to them,” he said. Addressing the gathering, Col. Mishaal Maghrabi, director of the traffic department in Makkah, underlined the need for working out a comprehensive mechanism in coordination with all concerned departments and agencies to ensure a smooth flow of pilgrims. “This mechanism should be in place well before the Haj season after learning the lessons from the shortcomings that occurred during the previous season and taking remedial measures. Some domestic Haj service firms and companies violate the traffic plan designed for them without taking into account public interests,” he said. Maghrabi attributed their behavior to their belief that they would not be penalized. “It is unfortunate that most of the firms that commit violations of traffic regulations are from outside Makkah. This requires the strong intervention of the ministry to take stringent punitive measures against violators,” he said.In his speech, Ibrahim Al-Jabri, director general of the general department for domestic pilgrims at the ministry, said the National Committee for Haj and Umrah has been playing an active role in improving the services rendered to pilgrims, especially in making the traffic plan a great success.“The ministry has all the administrative facilities and monitoring committees to detect any violations in Haj operations. The ministry is currently working on verifying reports about those companies that had allegedly violated the regulations before referring their cases to the concerned committee so that appropriate penal action can be taken against them,” he said, adding that there has been a substantial improvement in the performance of domestic Haj service companies over the last few years.The ministry is exerting every effort to force them to further improve their services for pilgrims in coordination with concerned agencies and departments, he pointed out.Al-Jabri said an announcement with regard to the establishment of the Coordination Council for Haj Work will be made within the coming few days. The council will be comprised of representatives from both the public and private sectors.In another development, Adnan Shafi, secretary general of the commerce chamber, said the MCCI had opened for the first time two of its outlets at the office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Mina and Arafat during the last Haj season. “These offices extended services such as attestation of documents and subscription services for its members during Haj. The offices had also prepared questionnaires and distributed them among domestic Haj service companies and establishments as well as pilgrims,” he said He added the questionnaire focused on their observations about the functioning of the Makkah chamber and the required services and facilities to be introduced by the chamber for the private sector as well as pilgrims during the coming Haj and Umrah seasons.Adnan Shafi said the outcome of the questionnaire was encouraging. “Respondents have stressed the need for continuing similar services for the next Haj seasons also. They also called for carrying out studies to solve problems facing Haj service providers as well as to expand the chamber’s activities covering all parts of the holy city,” he said. Adnan Shafi noted that domestic Haj service firms in their replies to the questionnaire urged the chamber to conduct training courses for their staff members as well as for all those taking part in the Haj operations to enable them to be well-versed in major languages spoken by a large number of pilgrims such as English, Urdu, Persian, French and Indonesian.