The Authority explained that providing the licensed service in unserved areas allows addressing the reasons that push citizens to rely on private cars operating for a fee, and opens the door for those wishing to provide the service to apply for a license and permit according to the approved conditions and specifications.
The bases aim to establish a clear regulatory framework for dealing with requests from citizens and competent authorities wishing to provide passenger transportation services to unserved areas, and to enable the Authority to study these requests and assess the actual needs, in preparation for granting the necessary licenses and permits in accordance with the approved provisions and standards.
The Authority announced that the reception of applications to benefit from these bases will start at the beginning of next week, through a form dedicated for this purpose, which includes the basic data of the applicant, the area where the service is required to be provided, the type and number of passenger transport vehicles to be operated, and the proposed route or path.
The bases determined a set of criteria on which the Authority relies in considering the area as unserved, including the high operating and investment costs compared to the expected return, the failure to attract operators despite issuing operating invitations more than once, the cessation or interruption of the existing service for any reason, in addition to the absence of a regular transportation service to or from the area.
The criteria also include the inadequacy of existing services to meet the actual demand, the absence of lines or routes providing adequate connection with the nearest major population or service center, as well as the remoteness or difficulty of access to the area, and the presence of geographical, demographic, or operational characteristics that limit the possibility of providing the service by conventional means, or the limited expected demand that does not allow for regular commercial operation.
The Authority will study the applications according to the approved bases and submit them to the Board of Directors of the Authority to take the appropriate decision, while in the event of multiple applications submitted for the service of the same area, the technical and operational criteria for preference adopted in the operating invitations issued by the Authority will be applied.
The bases stipulated the necessity of completing the passenger transport vehicles with the approved technical conditions and specifications within a period not exceeding three months from the date of the decision of the Board of Directors of the Authority, and the duration of the license and permit was determined to be one year, to be renewed annually according to the approved bases.
In the context of addressing the operational challenges that may face the provision of the service in these areas, the bases authorized, when appropriate and by a decision of the Board of Directors of the Authority, to provide support for passenger transportation services in unserved areas from the Passenger Transport Support Fund, including support for transportation fees, if the revenues achieved from the service are less than the operating costs.
These bases form a regulatory framework for addressing gaps in public transportation services and reducing the spread of unlicensed transportation, by defining clear criteria for classifying unserved areas, regulating licensing and permitting procedures, and providing support mechanisms in accordance with the approved provisions, which contributes to improving citizens' access to transportation services and enhancing their continuity in various areas.
