Why scrapyard so far away: Kuwaitis, expats

This news has been read 12039 times!

‘Let youths set shop closer’

KUWAIT CITY, July 9: A number of citizens and expatriates expressed their displeasure over the transfer of the car scrapyard to the outskirts of Kuwait near the Saudi border. They lamented that the trip to the scrapyard exhausts those who frequent this place especially since it is a refuge for those with limited income in light of the increase in the prices of spare parts at car agencies.

In a survey conducted by Al-Seyassah daily, the respondents demanded the government to give youths the opportunity to launch such projects that will help eliminate the current unemployment crisis, stressing that car scrapyard markets are present in all countries and are a common phenomenon that is indispensable.

Adel Saber said the car scrapyard is a refuge for people with limited income, as a lot of the people from this category, which form a majority in this country, go there to get original spare parts.

Safety
He stressed that even though the spare parts are used or secondhand, they are better than the counterfeits sold in the market which do not provide enough safety. Saber affirmed that the spare parts sold in the scrapyard are way cheaper compared to not only the brand new ones but also the counterfeit spare parts.

A citizen, who goes by the name Mohammad Al-Mutairi, stressed that the car scrapyard is an important market. He wondered about the logic behind transferring it to a remote area near the Saudi border, indicating that it was supposed to be about 15 kms away from Jahra at the most.

Al-Mutairi revealed that he went to the scrapyard to buy a car engine for his car which cost him KD 200, indicating that the same engine would have cost him more than KD 1,000 at the car agency. Another citizen Abu Jassem echoed his compatriot Al-Mutairi by saying the high cost of spare parts was the reason why many head to the scrapyard to buy whatever spare parts they need despite the long distance. He said he wished the government will allow youths to establish such kinds of markets in nearby areas, insisting that it will solve the unemployment problem.

By Najeh Bilal Al-Seyassah / Arab Times Staff

This news has been read 12039 times!