Article 10 of the Saudi Road Transport Law
المادة 10 من نظام النقل العام على الطرق
Article 10 excludes from the preceding articles buses used by ministries, agencies, institutes, schools and others to transport their personnel, as long as they are not used outside their designated purpose.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
لا تسري أحكام المواد السابقة على الحافلات التي تستخدمها الوزارات والمصالح المختلفة، والمعاهد والمدارس وغيرها، لنقل منسوبيهم طالما لم تخرج عن الغرض المخصص لها.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 10 explained in plain English
This article sets an exception to the preceding articles, which concern public passenger transport by bus, its concession, licensing and supervision. Those provisions do not apply to buses used by:
- Ministries and the various agencies,
- Institutes and schools,
- And others,
where they are used to transport their personnel, such as employees or students.
The reason is clear from Article 1: public transport is transport available to anyone for a fare, whereas a body transporting its own personnel is transport for a defined group.
But the exception is subject to a condition: that the bus not depart from the purpose designated for it. If it is used for something other than transporting personnel, such as being operated to carry the public for a fare, it does not benefit from this exception.
Note that the word "and others" makes the list non-exhaustive, but the text does not state the limits of what falls within it, so applying it to a particular body, such as a private company transporting its employees, requires looking at the case. The body concerned can consult a lawyer specializing in administrative matters and transport law.
Practical example
A school in Dammam owns buses to take its students to and from their homes. These buses are not subject to the provisions on the public transport concession and licensing as long as they are dedicated to transporting students. But if the school began renting them out to carry the general public for a fare, they would have departed from their designated purpose.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
How we write and review contentAdministrative Law lawyers: ask a specialist about your case
Describe your situation briefly and we'll suggest a lawyer who specialises in this law
Administrative Law (Board of Grievances) lawyers
Lawyers who handle this kind of case
Dr. Ali Al-Rubaie Law Office and Ittihad Al-Asr Legal Company
Al-Safwa Law Office and Legal Consultancy
Frequently asked questions about Article 10 of the Saudi Road Transport Law
Are school buses subject to the public transport law?
The preceding articles do not apply to them as long as they are used to transport the school's personnel and do not depart from their designated purpose.
When does this exception lapse?
If the bus departs from its designated purpose, which is transporting the body's personnel.
More articles on Public Passenger Transport by Bus
- Article 1
Article 1 treats passenger transport by buses, each equipped for at least eight people, operating regularly on a set route and available to anyone for a fixed fare, as a public utility.
يعتبر من المرافق العامة نقل الركاب بالحافلات التي تعد كل منها لنقل ثمانية أشخاص على الأقل، وتعمل بطريقة منتظمة في حدود محددة وطبقا لخط سير معين وفي متناول أي شخ
- Article 2
Article 2 provides that public collective passenger transport by bus within cities and between neighboring cities is by way of concession for a limited period, unless the Government decides to manage it itself.
يكون النقل العام الجماعي للركاب بالحافلات على شبكة الطرق العامة داخل المدن أو ما بين المدن المتجاورة بطريق الالتزام ولمدة محدودة، ما لم ترى الحكومة أن تتولى إدا
- Article 9
Article 9 requires the Minister of Communications to issue a regulation organizing small taxis, so as to ensure coordination with public transport buses and serve the interest of the transport utility.
يصدر وزير المواصلات لائحة لتنظيم سيارات الأجرة الصغيرة " التاكسي" على نحو يكفل التنسيق بينها وبين تسيير حافلات النقل العام ، ويحقق مصلحة مرفق النقل.
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.