PTA prohibits public transport bus drivers from working more than four and a half hours continuously

The Public Transport Authority (PTA) has prohibited public transport bus drivers from working for more than four and a half hours continuously. This is among the guidelines issued by the PTA to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers as well as to avoid the chances of road accidents. These are also aimed at raising the standard of transport services; safety of road traffic, and providing a good transport environment for drivers within the Kingdom, in a manner that guarantees an improvement in the efficiency and quality of services provided to beneficiaries.

According to the guidelines, the driver must halt the service for a rest period of 45 minutes so as to ease the burden on drivers after driving for four and a half hours. The stopping period can be split by intermittent periods of no less than 15 minutes for the first time and 30 minutes for the second time in a row, and the driver must not do any other work during the period designated for rest.

The authority stipulated that the duration of driving should not exceed nine hours in a 24-hour period, and it can be extended to a maximum of 10 hours twice a week. The authority stressed that the duration of driving per week should not exceed 56 hours and that driving hours over two consecutive weeks should not exceed 90 hours.

It stipulated that the driver’s daily rest period should not be less than 11 consecutive hours, provided that the driver enjoys this period within a period not exceeding 24 hours from the end of the previous rest period.

The PTA has set maximum and minimum daily and weekly driving hours and rest hours for drivers of buses of specialized transport, rental, and guided buses, and international transport buses in an effort to raise the level of safety and security on the roads, and to provide a good work environment for drivers within the Kingdom.

The authority stated that the driver’s weekly rest period should not be less than 45 hours continuously with a maximum of six consecutive working days.

Taking into account road safety, the driver may exceed the maximum driving period by 30 minutes or 50 kilometers, whichever comes first, in order to be able to reach a safe and appropriate stopping place. The authority indicated that the daily rest period during the movement of the bus is not counted, even if it is equipped with a place to rest inside the bus, and the daily and weekly rest periods must be spent outside the bus.

The PTA underscored the importance of drivers’ adherence to the rules and regulations issued by it with regard to driving hours and daily and weekly rest hours.