Every ride now on camera

KUWAIT CITY, July 5: The official gazette “Kuwait al- Youm” has published Ministerial Resolution No. 893/2026 issued by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, regarding the regulation of passenger transport and brokerage activities via electronic applications, reports Al-Seyassah daily. The resolution specifies the controls and conditions governing the work of companies, institutions, drivers, and vehicles operating in this sector.

Article 1 of the resolution stipulates that companies or institutions must be officially authorized to conduct commercial activity in accordance with the Traffic Law, its executive regulations, and relevant ministerial decisions.

They are also required to obtain a license from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and prior approval from the General Traffic Department, in addition to having a designated official location for conducting business, as required by the General Traffic Department. The resolution mandates that companies and institutions maintain an electronic log containing vehicle movements, trip details, carrier information, items transported, vehicle details, driver information, and the time and date of pickup and delivery. They are required to retain this data and provide any passenger data to the relevant authorities upon request.

Companies are obligated to conduct only the licensed activity and are prohibited from using the electronic application for any other unlicensed activity. The decision mandates the installation of surveillance cameras inside passenger transport vehicles, with recordings to be retained for a minimum of 120 days. Any passenger data must be handed over upon request by the relevant authorities.

Article Three outlines seven conditions for Kuwaiti citizens to engage in passenger transport activities via electronic applications:
1. They must be of good character and must not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude or dishonesty, unless their civil rights have been restored, nor have they been involved in serious traffic accidents, or been caught driving under the infl uence of alcohol, drugs, psychotropic substances, or any other substances that impair their natural faculties, as evidenced by a criminal record certificate issued by the General Department of Criminal Evidence.
2. They must be at least 21 years of age.
3. The vehicle must be air-conditioned, clean inside and out, and meet all safety and durability requirements specified in the executive regulations of the Traffic Law and its supplementary ministerial decrees and amendments.
4. The vehicle must not be older than three years from the date of manufacture, and its service must cease upon reaching seven years of age from the date of manufacture. It must also be owned by the same individual.
5. The vehicle must be designed to transport a minimum of three passengers and a maximum of seven passengers, in addition to the driver.
6. The driver must possess a valid driver’s license suitable for the activity.
7. The driver must obtain a permit from the General Traffic Department to operate the business, and this permit must be renewed annually.

According to Article 4, the General Traffic Department has the right to monitor and supervise electronic applications. If companies or institutions violate the provisions of the Traffic Law, its executive regulations, and the relevant ministerial decrees, and fail to rectify the violation within one month of being notified, the Director General of the General Traffic Department may contact the competent authority to cancel or block the application.

The decision also authorizes the Director General of the General Traffic Department to withdraw the permit granted to a Kuwaiti citizen if they violate the provisions of the Traffic Law, its executive regulations, or the provisions of this decision.

 According to Article 5, the provisions of this decision apply to transportation brokerage activities via electronic applications, as well as to all activities subject to the General Traffic Department if they are conducted through electronic applications.

Article 6 of the decision mandates that companies and institutions conducting commercial activities related to the General Traffic Department via electronic applications must comply with its provisions within three months of its effective date.

Articles 7 and 8 of the decision stipulate the cancellation of Ministerial Decision No. 724/2020. The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior is responsible for implementing its provisions, and it will come into effect upon its publication in the official gazette.