RIYADH — The Minister of Transport Eng. Saleh Al-Jasser has announced the issuance of a royal approval for additional initiatives to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic for Saudi drivers working for app-based ride-sharing services. The new initiatives call for supporting Saudi individuals who are working fulltime in the app-based ride-sharing services and are registered in the Public Transport Authority and their income has been affected due to the low demand for the activity as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Al-Jasser further said that the support would be in the form of a monthly subsidy equivalent to the minimum salary of a Saudi for a period of three months (i.e. three months’ salaries), in line with the regulations in this regard. The number of Saudi individuals registered and active in ride-sharing apps services has reached more than 200,000 citizens, and the initiative will benefit those who are working full time during the months prior to the corona crisis and are not associated with any other work. A royal approval has also been issued for an initiative to extend the service life of buses owned by transport companies. “The service life of these buses has been extended from 10 years to 11 years,” Al-Jasser said. He further said: “The Saudi society is receiving the glad tidings on the royal approval to support the citizens working fulltime in app-based ride-sharing vehicles with gratitude and appreciation. “The support will ensure that they and their families are not impacted financially and socially by the crisis, as this activity is their basic source of income. The approval will mitigate the repercussions of the pandemic.” He further said that the approval to extend the service of buses lying idle and allowing them to work in public transport will help companies to decrease the financial impact following the current crisis and reduce the consumption costs of inactive assets. He said: “This confirms the comprehensiveness of the subsidy initiatives provided by the state to cover all the parties that have been affected by the current situation, so as to come out with the least losses and the most appropriate solutions.”